Breathless
by rd4rapture
Summary: NCIS and FBI must work together to find a serial killer. While working the case, Tony has a reunion with someone from his past and Ziva is jealous. Rated T for now - I don't think that will change.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: No, I don't own the characters - except for Riley - they belong to CBS

A/N: Thoughts are indicated by single quotes.

Chapter One: Reunion (Of Sorts)

'_Oh no! Not now! Not in the middle of a crime scene!' But it was there – the all-too-familiar tightening of the chest that signaled the beginning of what promised to be a major respiratory event. 'Maybe I can get to the car before –' but the thought was incomplete. Without warning traitorous lungs shut down and the agent dropped unceremoniously to the ground._

'_Where is my inhaler – God, I can't breathe – I know it's in my backpack! I hope I didn't mess up my suit when I hit the ground. Whoa, that's random – but I if I die I at least want to look good. Bad enough that this is happening at a crime scene but does FBI and NCIS both have to be here? Course you'd think with everybody wandering around here somebody would notice that I'm about to die. If I can just get my hands to work so I can get the stupid inhaler – God, I hate that thing, makes me look like a dork – but right now I really don't care how I look.'_

_The agent felt the backpack being removed and vaguely noticed that someone was going through the pockets. 'Call 911 – agent down!' a voice shouted but it seemed so far away. Awareness was fading fast as suddenly the inhaler was forced between blue-tinged lips and depressed. Then the emergency inhaler did its job – opening the constricted airways and allowing sweet oxygen to once again enter the lungs._

_Then the coughing began, as the lungs struggled to loosen the mucus that was still inhibiting respiration. Some part of the agent's brain knew that the embarrassment would come later but right now it didn't matter. A handkerchief appeared, wiping away the expelled mucus as the coughing finally subsided. _

'_I'm so cold. Why am I so cold? And who is holding me? I don't really care – it feels nice.' The agent relaxed against the chest of the unknown benefactor, not seeing the concern on his face as he supported the younger agent's body against his own, providing warmth and support while waiting for the ambulance to arrive."It's okay," he said. "The ambulance will be here soon. Just hold on." His voice was so soothing. 'Why can't I open my eyes – I need to see who . . .'_

_Then, as if it wasn't already bad enough, the nausea that always followed the attacks hit with a vengeance. 'Please don't let me puke – please don't let me –' The sausage burrito that tasted so good at breakfast was violently ejected. Again, it was as if the unknown rescuer knew exactly what to do, turning the agent gently to the side to prevent choking – but not quite quickly enough to save the sleeve of his jacket and his watch. Somebody was saying something about an ambulance but the darkness came._

_An unknown time later the voices penetrated the cocoon of darkness. Somebody was talking about the attack. "This was, I don't know . . ."_

"_Scary beyond all reason?" 'Did I say that out loud – wait, I heard hospital' "No hospital. I hate hospitals."_

"_My god, she's a female version of you, DiNozzo! Movie references and she hates hospitals!"_

At the mention of DiNozzo's name, FBI Agent Riley Kendall's eyes flew open. She stared into those green eyes she remembered so well and said with a groan, "Somebody just kill me now!"

TBS


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All characters except Riley belong to CBS. I just like to play with them.

A/N: I made some minor changes to the end of Chapter One to match up with the dialogue in Chapter Two.

Chapter Two: How Tony Met Riley

_Earlier that morning . . ._

Tony DiNozzo couldn't help but notice her. How could you _not_ notice her? Even _Gibbs_ had checked her out (not that he would admit it!) Well, I guess if NCIS was going to have to work with the FBI on a case, it was nice to have somebody to look at other than Fornell and Sacks.

"DiNozzo, quit daydreaming and get to work," growled Gibbs. "Haven't you ever seen an FBI agent before?"

"Sorry, Boss," answered Tony with a slight grin. "She just looks really familiar to me. I know her from somewhere, but I just can't figure out where." As he was speaking, the agent smiled at Ducky, and Tony's feeling of recognition intensified.

A few minutes earlier, FBI Agent Riley Kendall had approached the body of Lt. Commander Randall Sheridan as it was being examined by NCIS medical examiner Dr. Donald Mallard (known as Ducky to his friends). Even though it was an NCIS crime scene, FBI was involved because it fit the profile of three unsolved murders being investigated by the FBI as the work of a serial killer. Riley was a profiler, new to the DC office after five years as a field agent in Los Angeles. She was anxious to view the body to see if it bore the same pattern of wounds as the other three victims.

"Do you mind if I take a look?" she asked quietly. Ducky looked up at her in surprise. "I'm sorry. Dr. Riley Kendall, FBI. I just wanted to see the wounds to make sure we really need to be here."

"Not at all, my dear," answered Ducky. "I'm Dr. Donald Mallard. I would welcome your input."

"If it's our guy, there should be knife wounds in his legs, shoulders, the abdomen, and the chest. In addition, one or both of his shoulders will be dislocated. There will also be signs that he was restrained though there is little evidence of struggle. You will find no evidence of drugs to explain why he was able to be captured and restrained quite easily. Even though he's nude, there will be fibers in the knife wounds, indicating that he was fully clothed when killed then undressed before being brought here and posed." As Riley talked, she was making an examination of the body. From all appearances it seemed that their serial killer had claimed another victim, though additional testing would have to be completed to confirm the presence of fibers and absence of drugs.

"Thank you, Dr. Kendall. That lets me know what I should be looking for."

"Please, call me Riley," she said. "And thank you, Dr. Mallard, for your time. I'll send copies of the other three autopsies that I conducted, and if it would be okay, I would like to be present when you perform the autopsy on Commander Sheridan."

"You performed the autopsies? Are you a medical examiner?"

"I was a medical examiner when I was in the Marines. I'm still in the reserves and I usually pull my duty at Bethesda. I'm technically a profiler but performing the autopsies gives me greater insight into the mind of the killer."

Ducky was again surprised. It was hard to believe that the petite FBI agent crouched beside him was a Marine. When he thought of Marines, he tended to compare them to Gibbs. There was absolutely _no_ comparison between this young lady and Gibbs! Or at least he thought so until FBI Agent Tobias Fornell strode forward and informed Ducky that the FBI would be taking the body.

"No, Tobias," stated Agent Kendall firmly. "The victim is a naval officer. NCIS should handle the autopsy."

Fornell looked at her with shock. "And this is our case. We have been working on this for three months. I am not giving it up."

"I am not talking about giving the case up. It's called cooperation, Tobias. And we _will_ cooperate." Ducky noticed two things. One, Agent Kendall's tone left no room for argument, and two, Fornell actually backed off. Maybe the young lady was more like Gibbs than he thought!

Agent Kendall gave Ducky a dazzling smile. "Thank you, Dr. Mallard. I'll see you in autopsy in a little while. I just need to make a few more mental notes about the scene so I can compare them to the previous crime scenes." She moved away in the direction of Tony and Ziva David and began to survey the scene from a distance. As her eyes roamed the area she noticed the tall NCIS agent across the way. There was something familiar about the way he moved, but it was hard to see him with that scarf covering his nose and mouth. '_I shouldn't have left my scarf behind but Fornell would have given me grief if I had gone back for it. I didn't realize it was this cold. I probably need to. . . Oh no! Not now! Not in the middle of a crime scene!'_

Tony was also watching the FBI agent's approach. She smiled at him and Ziva and he again had that sense of familiarity.

"You are drooling, Tony," stated Ziva, watching her partner gaze at the agent.

"Am not," retorted Tony, laughing. " She just seems familiar to me. I just can't seem to . . ."

Tony saw the look of pure panic that crossed the pretty FBI agent's face just before she went down. He knew exactly what was happening as she knelt on all fours vainly struggling to draw a breath. "Call 911. Agent down!" he shouted as he reached the fallen woman. He grabbed her backpack and searched for the inhaler that he knew would be there. Finding two, he scanned the labels and selected the emergency inhaler that would hopefully put a stop to the attack.

Sitting on the ground himself, Tony pulled Riley against his chest and forced the inhaler between her lips. '_She's already turning blue! I hope I'm not too late with this. Man, that was fast.' _ He depressed the inhaler, forcing the medicine into her lungs. She relaxed for just a moment and then began to cough up strings of ropy mucus. Tony looked around and started to call for a tissue but Gibbs pressed his handkerchief into Tony's hand. He gently wiped Riley's mouth as the coughs subsided and she fell back against his chest, completely exhausted.

"It's okay," Tony said gently. "The ambulance will be here soon. Just hold on." Riley relaxed within the arms holding her as the worst of the attack passed. She was still wheezing but that would also be over soon. And then she threw up. Tony almost didn't get her turned to the side and he still ended up with vomit all over his sleeve and his watch. He heard somebody snort with laughter, probably Sacks, and looked up angrily. He saw Sacks turn away hastily as Ducky passed him on his way over.

"Ambulance is on the way," said Tim McGee. "Is she okay?" He was concerned with her pallor and her shallow breathing. He was also slightly amused that she had puked on Tony.

"Anthony, why don't you let me take a look," said Ducky, kneeling down beside the still form. He was also worried about how pale the young woman was along with the fact that she appeared to have lost consciousness. Her breathing was becoming more regular, however, and he felt confident that she would be fine.

Tony continued to hold the girl in his arms, keeping her warm as she leaned against his chest. It seemed like the whole event had taken hours when it was actually taken only minutes. "Ducky?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, Anthony," the ME replied.

"Is that what it's like when. . . I mean, when I . . ." Unable to finish the question, Tony simply looked at Ducky.

"I'm afraid so." Ducky hesitated. "Sometimes worse."

"Man, I am so sorry for putting you guys through that. This was, I don't know, . . ."

"Scary beyond all reason?" a quiet voice said. Tony and Ducky both started.

"Welcome back, my dear," Ducky said warmly. Riley started to get up but Ducky gently pushed her back into Tony's arms. "Oh, no you don't. The ambulance is here are you are going to hospital!"

"No hospital!" Riley argued without a lot of hope. "I hate hospitals"

"My god, she's a female version of you, DiNozzo!" joked McGee. "Movie references _and_ she hates hospitals."

'_DiNozzo? Did he say DiNozzo?' Riley thoughts were swirling. 'This cannot be happening.'_

Riley's eyes flew open and she stared into those green eyes she remembered so well, that she had dreamed of so many times over the past 17 years. Closing her eyes she groaned, "Somebody just kill me now!"

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Still don't own 'em but I sure would like to.

A/N: Time to find out how Tony and Riley know each other. Sorry for the delay but things get really crazy near the end of the school year.

Chapter 3: Reminiscing

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

Riley Kendall hated hospitals. She hated IV's. She hated the stupid cannula in her nose (although it was better than the oxygen mask). Most of all she hated the fact that so many people had seen her lose it. Even worse, _Tony DiNozzo_ had not only been there, she had puked on him.

Of all the people in the world, why did it have to be him? And according to the text she just got, she was going to have to see him when they met to discuss the case at NCIS at 9:00 in the morning (along with everyone else who had witnessed her humiliation.) That is, if Dr. Pitt ever let her go home.

Speak of the devil. Dr. Brad Pitt (no relation to the actor) walked in with a smile. "I want to go home, Brad," Riley said. "I'm fine. Really."

"I am not letting you go home alone, Riley. What happens if you have another attack and you don't have a hero to get you through it?" Brad answered calmly.

"I face the risk of an attack every day, Brad. I can't stay here forever. Besides, I have a meeting in the morning and I really need to get my notes together. And I also need to call Dr. Mallard regarding the autopsy, which I missed because _you_ won't let me leave!" The last words were almost shouted, which resulted in a small bout of coughing, much to Riley's disgust.

"Yeah, you're fine alright," said Brad. "You are not leaving."

"I could always sign myself out AMA." Riley sighed. "But I won't. How about I stay two more hours then you can decide?" She smiled at Brad, turning on the charm.

Brad shook his head. How in the world did she manage to look that good in a hospital gown and a nose cannula? And how can anybody resist that smile and that sweet Southern accent? "Okay," he relented. "'I'm going to remove the cannula now and I'll check you out again in two hours. But if I say you stay, you stay. Got it?"

"Got it. Can I at least work on my laptop?"

"Would it matter if I said no?" Brad smiled. "So tell me about the guy who saved you."

Riley smiled. "It's like he knew exactly what I was going through. He even knew which inhaler I needed. I don't know what would have happened if he hadn't been there. Of course, Dr. Mallard was there, too. He would have known what to do."

"Wait a minute! Dr. Mallard was there? I thought you were FBI, not NCIS."

"I am FBI. We're working with NCIS on this case. How do you know Dr. Mallard?"

"We've worked together before." Brad was beginning to have a strong suspicion of just who Riley's savior was, and his suspicions were confirmed when Riley continued.

"I actually know the guy who saved me. Well, _knew_ him would be more accurate. He was in a few of my classes at Ohio State. And I guess you know him too– I saw you break his leg. Tony DiNozzo?"

"Yeah, I know Tony. We meet for beers every once and awhile. We, uh, ran into each other a few years ago and have stayed in touch ever since." Brad knew he wasn't exactly telling the truth but it was as close as he could get without violating doctor/patient confidentiality. "Listen, try to get some rest and I'll be back in later."

Riley sighed, settled back into the pillows, and closed her eyes. Only after Brad had left did she realize that he didn't give her the laptop.

**NCIS Headquarters**

The body of Commander Sheridan had been taken to autopsy and the evidence was in Abby's lab. Everyone else was in the bullpen trying to find something, anything connecting the latest victim to the previous three. Tony was the last to enter the room since he had to change out of his soiled suit into the sweats that he kept in his locker. The suit could be cleaned but his watch was ruined.

"How's your agent?" Tony asked Fornell as he entered the bullpen.

"I don't know. Haven't heard from her, "answered Fornell. "You heard anything Sacks?"

"Nope. Sent her a text about the meeting in the morning but she hasn't answered," replied Agent Sacks. "I figure she'll let us know if she's not going to make it in."

"You mean nobody is there with her?" questioned Tony in amazement.

"Hey, I'm sure they called her family. If you're so concerned, why don't you go see her?" Sacks retorted.

"Maybe I will. What hospital?"

"How should I know? I'm not her keeper!"

Seeing that DiNozzo was about to lose his temper and go off on Sacks, Gibbs intervened. "Get McGee to find out where they took her. You can go check on her later – after you've finished your reports."

"Okay, Boss. Probie, see if you can find out where they took Agent . . . hey, Sacks, what's her name?"

"Kendall. I don't know her first name," answered Sacks.

"Okay, Probie. See if you can find her."

After a few calls Tim called out to Tony. "Found her. She's at Bethesda. She's still there but they haven't admitted her, at least not yet."

Tony was confused. "Bethesda? She's not Navy."

"She was a Marine," said Fornell. "I think she's still in the reserves. I guess that's why they took her to Bethesda."

Tony immediately went to his desk and began working on his report. McGee noticed that he was typing faster than usual – way faster than usual. His fingers fairly flew over the keyboard instead of the two-finger style he generally employed. Had Tony been holding out on them?

Tony was finished fairly quickly. He dropped his report on Gibbs' desk and asked, "Mind if I take off, Boss. I'd like to go by the hospital – just to make sure she's okay."

Gibbs looked up with a grin. "Go, DiNozzo. Call when you find out something."

"Thanks, Boss." Tony grabbed his jacket and keys and headed for the stairs, not bothering to wait for the elevator. He didn't notice the look that Ziva threw his way as he left, halfway angry and halfway hurt.

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

Tony walked into the emergency room, stopping by the desk to ask if Agent Kendall was still there. The nurse directed him down the hallway to one of the treatment rooms. As he headed down the hall he saw his doctor and friend Brad Pitt.

When Brad saw Tony he was immediately concerned. "Hey, are you okay? What are you doing here?"

"Relax, Brad," laughed Tony. "I'm here under my own power, not in an ambulance. I was coming to check on Agent Kendall."

"I thought so. Riley said you were in some of her classes at OSU. I hoped you might come by – nobody else has."

Tony froze. Riley. _'Oh my God. I can't believe I didn't recognize her. How could I forget that smile? But she looks so different.'_

"Tony? Hey, Tony!" Brad was worried about his friend. "What's wrong?"

"I didn't even recognize her," Tony said. "She didn't look like that at all at OSU. But her smile hasn't changed a bit. Maybe if I'd heard her talk before her attack I would have recognized her voice – man, I used to love hearing that Southern accent."

"Well, she remembers you. I think she's embarrassed. I mean, she did throw up on you," Brad laughed.

"So can I see her?" Tony asked.

"Sure," answered Brad, turning back towards Riley's room. "So what classes did you have together?"

"Let's see – Anatomy and Physiology, Intro to Criminology, and Sociological Theory. But she wasn't _in_ the classes – she was teaching them."

Brad looked at Tony in amazement but before he could ask for more information, they reached Riley's room. Brad knocked on the door. "Riley," he said. "You have a visitor."

Riley looked up and again stared into the gorgeous green eyes of Tony DiNozzo.

A/N: I really struggled with this chapter and I'm still not happy with it but I have to stop rewriting it. I know where I'm going from here on out (I think!)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you for all of the reviews and for adding my story to your story alerts. Hopefully it won't be as long between updates since summer vacation is almost here!

Chapter 4: Explanations

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

Riley looked at Tony and realized that he hadn't changed that much since OSU. He had definitely aged well and those eyes were as captivating as ever. "Hi," she said softly. _'Oh, great. That's original."_

Tony smiled, hoping to ease Riley's obvious discomfort. "How are you feeling? You look better."

Riley laughed. "Yeah, well it would be hard to look any worse. Thanks, by the way. These attacks, I usually have some warning but this one just hit out of nowhere. If you hadn't been there . . ." To her horror, Riley began to cry. It had been coming, like it always did after an attack, but did it have to happen now?

Concerned, Tony immediately moved to Riley, taking her in his arms and letting her cry on his shoulder. As the sobs subsided, he took a tissue and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Oh, God, I am so sorry," Riley said, her embarrassment evident. "I can't believe I just did that."

"It's okay," Tony said. "You had to let it go sometime. Better with somebody here than alone."

"Thanks again." Riley tried to compose herself, but it was really hard with Tony sitting next to her on the bed. Realizing her unease, he moved to a chair but continued to hold her hand.

"I didn't recognize you," Tony stated. "Your smile was familiar but I just couldn't place you. You look different, I mean, you were, uh, well, . . ."

"The word you're looking for is 'fat', Tony. I was fat. It's okay – it's not like I didn't know it."

"You weren't fat," Tony protested. "You were just . . ."

"Tony, I was barely over five feet tall and weighed 210 pounds when you were in my Anatomy and Physiology class. Really, I was almost as big around as I was tall! But hey, I actually grew a couple of inches – I'm 5 feet 4 inches tall now and weigh considerably less."

"How did you do it? You don't have to answer that if I'm being too nosy," Tony added quickly.

"No, that's okay. You actually inspired me. I saw how you looked at _them_, you know the cheerleader types. I wondered what it would be like if somebody looked at me that way. So I did something about it. I had always been big – more interested in academics than exercise. So anyway, I bought a treadmill and some exercise videos, started watching my diet, and started losing the pounds, and it finally paid off."

"How?"

"Back at the crime scene, before I embarrassed myself completely that is, you finally gave me that look."

**NCIS Headquarters**

Ziva watched Tony hurry away. She was a little hurt, a little angry and as much as she hated to admit it, a little jealous. He did not even know this woman – why was he so interested in her condition? She was an FBI agent, not NCIS. She was not his concern, yet he had run out of the bullpen as if he were her next-of-kin.

Ziva looked around the bullpen. They were winding down, finishing reports, basically at a standstill until the autopsy was complete and the evidence analyzed. She moved to McGee's desk. "Tim," she said, "did you notice anything strange about Tony?"

"Well, now that you mention it," Tim said, "I've never seen him type that fast before."

"Not that! I mean, the way he was acting over that FBI agent."

"I guess he was just concerned because he was the one to get her through the attack. If anyone would know what that was like, it would be Tony. So he's probably just worried because he's been there, you know?"

That made sense. Ziva nodded. "That must be it."

"But I wonder why she said what she did when she opened her eyes? Did you hear her?"

"No, what did she say?"

"It was kind of funny. She looked at Tony at said 'Somebody kill me now.' Sounds like she just might know him!"

"That is a strange thing to say. Maybe they have worked together before."

"I don't think so. Tony didn't seem like he knew her but she sure seemed to recognize him."

**Bethesda Naval Hospital**

Tony realized that he _had_ been looking at Riley back at the crime scene. He couldn't believe that the petite FBI agent in front of him was his former college professor. "Wait a minute. Why did you say what you did when you opened your eyes? I had just saved your life, you know. Why did you want somebody to kill you?"

Riley sighed. How in the world was she going to explain this without humiliating herself even more? "Okay, I don't know if you know this or not, but I was only 17 years old when I taught my first class. I may have been teaching in a college classroom but I was still a teenage girl. This is so embarrassing but I had a _huge_ crush on you."

"Really?" Tony was grinning. Riley was blushing furiously and she wouldn't even look at him. "Please, continue. I think I'm going to enjoy this," he teased, hoping to get her to relax.

"Oh, stop it! Anyway, I used to fantasize about being in your arms and gazing into your eyes. Of course the whole puking thing was never part of the fantasy." Riley laughed. "I can't believe I'm telling you this! So when I heard your name and realized that I had vomited all over you, I just wanted to die! I'll take care of the dry cleaning, by the way. And judging by the fact that your wrist is bare, I guess I owe you a watch, too."

"Don't worry about it. No big deal. I'm just glad you're okay."

"It is a big deal. If I'm not mistaken, that watch was a Piaget. NCIS must pay a lot better than the FBI."

"Hey! I can't help it if I have good taste. And excuse me, Miss Burberry coat and Ferragamo shoes!"

"Oh, no! Please don't tell me you're gay!"

"Gay! Why in the world would you think that I'm gay?"

"Duh! Gay men know designers. Straight men don't."

Tony laughed. She knew as many movie quotes as he did. "Trust me, Riley. I am not gay. I just know quality when I see it." And he looked at her, realizing that he wasn't just talking about her clothes.

At that moment, Brad walked in to check on Riley. "You two seem to be having a good time. How are you feeling, Riley?"

"Much better," she answered quickly. "Can I go home now?"

Brad hesitated. "I'm still worried about you going home alone. I'd like to keep you here overnight."

"Please, Brad. I will starve to death if you make me stay here. They claim this stuff they brought in is food, but it doesn't look remotely food-like to me. Just let me go home. I'll be fine. Please**." **

"I'll take her home," Tony said. Brad and Riley both looked at him. "I'll stay until she gets settled in and then pick her up in the morning for the meeting at NCIS." He looked at Riley. "If that's okay with you?"

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Jealousy Rears Its Ugly Head

**NCIS Headquarters**

"Has anyone heard from Tony?" asked Ziva. Ducky had just given them the autopsy results, confirming that the most recent victim was most likely killed by the same person responsible for the deaths of the other three. Reports were all completed and everyone was meeting at 9:00 the next morning to discuss the case.

Before Gibbs could answer, his cell phone rang. "Gibbs," he barked. "Well, it's about time DiNozzo." He paused, listening to what his Senior Field Agent was saying. "That's good to hear." He paused again. "Yeah, I'll let Ducky know – he's right here. We'll see you two in the morning."

Gibbs ended the call and turned to the others in the bullpen. "Agent Kendall is okay. DiNozzo is taking her home tonight. He's going to pick her up in the morning and bring her in for the meeting. Ducky, she wants to see Commander Sheridan's body when she gets here. Tony says call if that's a problem."

"That will be no problem," replied Ducky. "She had hoped to be present for the autopsy but she can review my report tomorrow."

"Why is Tony taking her home?" asked Ziva, realizing how petty she sounded but unable to stop it. "She is not on our team. Does it not make more sense for Fornell or Sacks to take her home?"

Gibbs looked at Ziva, wondering why she seemed angry. He was a little surprised that she was so unconcerned about a fellow agent, even if that agent was from another agency. "Well, Agent David. In case you didn't notice, Fornell and Sacks were here until a few minutes ago. To my knowledge, they never even called to check on Agent Kendall. And since DiNozzo is the one taking her home, apparently nobody else went by to see her either. You ever think she might not have anybody else?"

"Still, Tony does not even know her. Why should he take on that responsibility?"

"Did you get a good look at her?" grinned McGee. He suspected that Ziva might be a little bit jealous (although she would never admit it) and decided to add fuel to the fire. "Every man at that crime scene was checking her out, especially Tony. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her!"

Gibbs shot McGee a warning look but Tim chose to ignore it as he continued, "Who knows? Maybe he'll just stay the night and save himself a trip in the morning."

Gibbs didn't miss the look of fury that Ziva threw at McGee. "Do not be ridiculous," she snarled. "Even Tony is not so shallow as to . . ." She stopped as she realized McGee had been baiting her and that he had succeeded. Stifling a scream, she grabbed her keys and stomped out of the bullpen.

"Oh, yeah. Somebody is definitely jealous," said McGee.

"Ya think, McGee?" said Gibbs with a grin.

**Heading Home**

Riley had been a little hesitant to allow Tony to take her home, but he and Brad convinced her that it would be a good idea. She got dressed as Tony went to get the car, grimacing when she saw the stains on her suit and coat. She was sitting on the side of the bed when he walked in pushing a wheelchair. "Hop in, m'lady. Your chariot awaits," Tony said, laughing.

"No way!" Riley protested. "I can walk just fine. I am _not_ getting into that stupid thing and y'all can't make me!"

Tony shook his head. "Hospital policy. Get in. And yes I can make you – I'll just pick you up . . ." and before Riley could say anything, Tony had lifted her from the bed and dropped her into the wheelchair.

Brad spoke up from the doorway. "Hey, Tony. I'll remember that trick next time you argue about leaving in a wheelchair. I wonder if Gibbs could do that to you." Tony glared at him but Brad pretended he didn't see it.

"Next time? So, Tony, do you come here often?" Riley asked. "I don't know why – the food is awful and the help is from Michigan!" They all laughed, including Brad.

"Tony has visited us here a couple of times," Brad answered, ignoring Tony's look of warning. "And he likes it about as much as you do."

Speaking to Tony, Riley said, "I think we're going to have to discuss this in more detail later."

"I don't think so," Tony replied. "I need to call Gibbs before we head out. I promised I would let them know how you're doing." Tony made the call, updating the team on Riley's condition.

"Oh, will you get Gibbs to ask Ducky if I can see the body tomorrow. I know the autopsy report will be impeccable, but I'd really like to see the body for myself." Riley hated that she had missed the autopsy but there was nothing to be done about that.

Tony relayed the request to Gibbs before ending the call. He began pushing Riley toward the elevator. "Ready to go home?" he asked.

"I am past ready," Riley answered. "I'm also starving. How about I order some pizza and have it delivered to my house? We can eat before you leave."

"Sounds good to me. I'm pretty hungry myself. What kind do you like?"

"Pretty much anything except anchovies." Riley shuddered. "My favorite is pepperoni and mushroom though."

"I like pepperoni, sausage and extra cheese. Why don't we do half and half?"

Riley smiled and called her favorite pizza delivery place. Tony was surprised that it was the same place he always called. He was even more surprised when he heard the delivery address. It was only a few blocks from his own apartment. "I order from there, too," he said. "I don't live too far away from you. How long have you lived there?"

"On and off since I was 14. Full time for the last six months when I transferred to DC." Riley's answer was short and Tony got the feeling that it was a closed subject – for now.

When they arrived at the address, Tony was expecting an apartment building but saw that Riley lived in a townhouse. Sensing his surprise she told him, "My parents bought it after they retired from teaching at Duke. Dad took a job as a consultant here in DC. When they passed away, it became mine."

When they entered the townhouse, the first thing Tony noticed was the baby grand piano in the center of the room. Around the piano he saw two guitar cases and a violin case. Floor to ceiling shelves were filled with books and a DVD collection to rival his own. A large sectional sofa faced a huge flat screen television mounted on the wall.

"Come on in and make yourself comfortable," Riley said. "There's juice and soda in the fridge. I'm just going to change out of these clothes. Be right back." As she went upstairs, Tony walked over to the piano. It was a beautiful instrument and he couldn't resist sitting down and letting his fingers play over the keys. Seeing some handwritten music on the stand, he began to play.

He didn't even notice that Riley had joined him until he heard the violin. He stopped playing but she urged him to continue. The notes of the piano and violin intertwined, each musician focused upon the melody. As the song ended, they were startled out of their reverie by the doorbell. "Pizza's here," said Riley quietly.

"I got it," said Tony moving quickly to the door. He recognized the delivery boy, Jeff, from the many times the boy had delivered to Tony's apartment. Jeff was a little confused at seeing Tony at Miss Kendall's place but he thought it was kind of nice that two of favorite customers were together. They both seemed a little lonely to him.

Riley went to grab some napkins and some drinks. "Is soda okay?" she called. "I don't drink alcohol so I don't keep beer or wine in the house."

"Soda's fine," Tony replied. "You don't drink alcohol at all?"

"No. I'm really involved in my church, working with the youth. I believe that drinking would really hurt my Christian testimony. I don't condemn people who drink, I just choose not to."

Tony was quiet. Riley didn't seem like one of those religious nuts but you never knew. To cover the awkward silence, he asked, "The song on the piano – did you write it? It's really nice."

"Yeah, I wrote it," Riley replied self-consciously. "It's a hymn. I'll let you see the words later if you want to." She paused. "Look, I'm not one of those people that tries to shove Jesus down your throat. But my relationship with Christ is the most important thing in my life. It influences everything that I do and I won't be ashamed of it."

"Whoa, Riley. It's okay. I respect your beliefs – I just don't know if I agree with them or not."

"That's okay. Maybe I'll slip a few religious tracts into your pockets." Riley laughed when she saw Tony's look. "I'm kidding! Like I said, I don't work that way. I let my life be my witness." She paused again. "Look let's eat and watch a movie before it's time for you to leave."

They decided to watch _Guys and Dolls_ while they ate their pizza. They sat in companionable silence while watching the movie (except for the many times that one or both of them sang along with the actors.) As the movie ended, Tony noticed that Riley had been quiet for awhile. She was sitting against him and had fallen asleep. Moving carefully to keep from waking her, he used the remote to turn off the DVD and changed the channel to ESPN, turning down the volume. It was almost midnight and he really needed to get home, but he hated to wake her up. He decided to stay a little longer, stretching out on the couch and pulling her close, smiling as she snuggled into him.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters except Riley – they belong to CBS

Chapter 6: Assumptions

Riley opened her eyes at 5:00 am, her internal alarm clock waking her as it always did, and stared straight into Tony's chest. She was stretched out against his body, her face buried in his chest, his arms wrapped around her in a safe and comforting embrace. _'No, no, no,'_ she thought. _'This is not happening. I did not just spend the night with Tony DiNozzo!'_

Riley carefully slipped out of Tony's arms, trying not to wake him. As she moved off the couch, he shifted but did not awaken. With a sigh of relief, Riley fled upstairs. Agitated, she paced furiously around her bedroom. Ordinarily she ran every morning but Brad had threatened her if she even thought about going for a run for the next two weeks. But she had to do something to work off her nervousness. How was she going to face Tony? Absently, she began doing stretches as she tried to formulate what she would say to Tony when he woke up. Moving from stretches to push ups, she was having absolutely no luck. She just didn't have any experience with waking up with a man in her bed (well, on the couch, but it was kind of the same thing.) She was finishing up her morning workout with pull ups when Tony appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Do you work out like this every morning?" Tony asked.

"Uh, no. Usually I go for a run, but Brad says no running for a while. I have to do something, though," Riley answered, unable to look at Tony.

"What's wrong, Riley?

Riley released the pull up bar and dropped to the floor. She still wouldn't look at Tony. She didn't know how she was supposed to act. "It's just that, well, I've never, uh, never had a man stay all night before. I just don't do that. I mean, I've never, oh poop, I am not making sense."

Tony was a little amused until he realized she was near tears. "Hey, it's okay. It's not like anything happened. You went to sleep during the movie and I didn't want to wake you so I just stretched out with you for a few minutes. Guess I was more tired than I thought cause that few minutes turned into 5 hours!"

"Look, Tony. It's not like it wasn't nice waking up in your arms. But people are going to make assumptions. And. . .and. . .you just don't understand."

"Then make me understand!" Tony couldn't figure out why Riley was so agitated. What was the big deal?

"You know I told you that I don't drink, right? Well, there are other things that I don't do. For example, I don't use profanity and I don't like people to use it around me. And, well, I don't believe in sex before marriage." Tony was silent. He looked at her, the reason for her discomfort finally apparent.

When he spoke, it was with a gentle tone. "And I'm guessing that you've never been married."

"Tony, I've never even had a boyfriend. And I've probably been on less than a dozen dates in my entire life. I was involved in academics for most of my teenage years – not that anyone would have dated me anyway – and between the Marines and the FBI, I've never really taken the time for a relationship." Riley sighed. "You should go home and get ready for work. You don't have to come back for me – I can take a cab."

"Okay. I'm going home but I _will_ be back to pick you up. And you better be here." He stopped. Riley wouldn't even look at him. He reached out and gently lifted her chin. "Riley. Look at me. You have nothing to be embarrassed about."

She was gazing up at him. Without breaking eye contact he slowly lowered his mouth to hers and placed a soft kiss upon her lips. "I'll see you in about an hour." Tony left the townhouse without noticing the person that watched from the shadows.

**Earlier**

Ziva could not believe that she allowed McGee's teasing to affect her. She did not lose control like that, especially over Tony. He was insufferable, immature, irritating. He had also risked his life to save hers on more than one occasion. And he was definitely good-looking – but she was not going to tell him that.

She went home to her apartment, took a shower and went to bed but sleep was anything but restful. She kept waking up, thinking about McGee's comment about Tony staying the night with Agent Kendall. Surely Tony would not do such a thing. But the FBI agent was attractive, most assuredly Tony's "type". So what if he did spend the night with her. That was none of Ziva's business.

At 4:30 am Ziva finally gave up. She did not feel like running, so she took another shower and dressed for work.Getting into her car, she started towards the Navy Yard and NCIS Headquarters but suddenly found herself heading in the direction of Tony's apartment. She drove down the nearly abandoned street but did not see his car parked outside of the building. She continued down the street, wondering where he was, when she saw his car on the street about a block away in front of a townhouse. She passed his car and turned around, parking in a secluded spot where she could watch. A few minutes later she saw Tony leave one of the townhouses, get into his car and head towards home.

Ziva was stunned. She thought Tony had changed, that he was no longer the ladies man who would spend the night with a woman he had just met. Apparently she was wrong. Shaking her head, she drove to work.

**Riley's Apartment**

Riley was stunned. Tony had kissed her! Talk about fantasies coming true! What in the world was he thinking? She showered and got ready for work in a kind of daze, shaking her head to clear her mind when she realized that she was about to put on two different shoes. Settling for a matching pair of Aigner pumps, she put them on and critically looked at her reflection in the full length mirror. Her gray suit was impeccable and black silk blouse perfectly tailored. Her short auburn hair was perfect but her expertly applied makeup couldn't hide the fact that she was still a little too pale. Oh, well. Nothing that a couple more nights of good sleep wouldn't fix. She checked her watch - Tony would be arriving soon.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Tony looked at the clock in his car – he was right on time. He hoped that Riley hadn't run out on him. Especially after he had kissed her. He wasn't sure what had prompted him to do that. She was just looking at him, so sweet and so vulnerable – he couldn't help himself.

Getting out of the car, he headed towards the door but Riley came out before he could get there, carrying her backpack. "Do we have time to stop for coffee?" she asked as she reached the car. "If I don't get my caffeine in the morning I'm a beast."

"Sure," Tony answered, opening the door for her. "Do you want to grab some breakfast, too?"

"No, I brought that with me. Do you like sausage burritos? I have enough for both of us."

"Love 'em!" Tony grinned. Apparently there were to be no adverse consequences to the kiss. She seemed to be ignoring it completely.

In actuality, Riley was having a hard time controlling her emotions. She was trying to act normally, but her heart was pounding. However, she wasn't about to let Tony know how strongly his kiss had affected her.

They stopped for coffee at the shop near the Navy Yard, Riley ordering her favorite caramel and vanilla bean latte with extra caramel. "I call it a sugar coma special," she joked.

Tony laughed and told the barista, "Sounds good. Make it two."

Sipping their lattes, the two agents made their way into NCIS headquarters, neither of them knowing that their good moods were about to be completely destroyed.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters (except Riley) – they belong to CBS

Chapter 7: Anger

Tony and Riley walked out of the elevator, Tony finishing his sausage burrito and hungrily eyeing the rest of Riley's "Do you always eat like that?" Riley laughed.

"Hey! That was so much better than what you get at the fast food places," Tony replied. "And I usually eat two."

"Well they should be better! I make my own tortillas _and_ my own salsa. I draw the line at raising my own hogs, though!" Taking pity on Tony, she laughed again and handed him her half-eaten burrito. "Here. Eat it. I was full anyway."

Tony took the burrito out of her hand and happily finished it off. "That was amazing," he said, swallowing the last bite, following it with a sip of his latte. "And this caramel vanilla thing is awesome!"

"I think your teammates are going to kill me for letting you have so much sugar. You're more hyper than I am!"

"Well, someone certainly worked up an appetite," a voice said sarcastically. Tony and Riley both started – they hadn't known anyone else was in the bullpen. Seeing Ziva sitting at her desk, Tony said, "Shi. . ., I mean, crap Ziva! You trying to give us a heart attack?"

"No, Tony. Unlike you I am always here this early, sometimes earlier. I have never known you to be such a morning person. You must have had a good reason to get up before the sunrise."

Tony wondered why Ziva was acting so strangely, like she was pissed or something. What had he done this time? "Riley wanted to see the Commander's body before the meeting this morning so we came in early. What's the big deal?"

"I am just surprised to see you here at this hour," answered Ziva. "You usually have difficulty making it in on time after a, shall we say "busy" night."

"What are you implying, Ziva?" Tony asked, an edge to his voice that Ziva wasn't used to hearing, at least directed at her.

"Do not lie to me Tony. I know you spent the night with Agent Kendall. You are both adults so why try to hide the fact that you were there all night?"

"Not that we're trying to hide anything, Ziva, but just how do you know where I spent the night?"

"I saw you leave her house this morning. I thought that you had matured Tony, that you were beyond sleeping with someone you just met. Obviously I was wrong."

Tony looked at Riley and saw that she was mortified that Ziva had seen him leaving the townhouse. He realized that she was struggling to control her emotions and saw the tears threatening to spill over. Angrily he almost spat the words at Ziva, "Where do you get off spying on me Ziva? You are out of line!"

Ignoring Ziva, Tony moved to comfort Riley. Before he could say anything, Ziva headed toward her desk, muttering a Hebrew word under her breath. Tony saw the look on Riley's face change from embarrassment to rage in a flash. Tony didn't know what Ziva had said but apparently Riley did – and it definitely wasn't a compliment.

Before Tony could stop her, Riley stormed over to Ziva's desk and grabbed the other woman by the arm. "I have been called a lot of things, some of them I deserved," Riley hissed in Hebrew (much to Ziva's surprise). "But nobody calls me a whore and gets away with it. What is your problem anyway? Are you and Tony sleeping together?"

"No," Ziva answered, "though that is none of your business."

"Then why is it your business what he and I do? Not that we did anything. _I_ don't make a habit of sleeping around – even if I have known the man in question for almost 20 years."

Leaving Ziva to chew on that little tidbit of information, Riley turned on Tony, her anger still in full force. Switching to English, she said, "I told you, Tony. Narrow minded people like her don't care about the truth. They believe what they want to believe, no matter who it hurts." She took a breath, noticing her lungs were tight but refusing to let the Israeli witch see her use the inhaler. "I'm going to autopsy. I'll see you in a couple of hours."

She started toward the elevator, then turned to Ziva and said quietly. "This isn't the time or the place but I want you to know that this isn't over. You and I _will_ settle this!"

Riley continued to move in the direction of the elevator, glad that Tony had already given her directions to autopsy. She saw Gibbs standing there and wondered how much of the altercation he had witnessed.

"You know she used to be Mossad," said Gibbs.

"Yeah, well I'm a Marine," answered Riley. "Check out my service record and you'll see why I really don't give a rat's behind about her Mossad training." Ignoring the elevators, Riley entered the stairwell and made her way to autopsy.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"What the hell was that about?" asked Gibbs. Tony and Ziva were staring at each other and Gibbs was shocked to see the anger on Tony's face.

"Ask her!" Tony's voice was dangerously quiet. "First, she decided that she had the right to spy on me. Then she made some assumptions about me and Riley that were completely wrong and totally out of line. But what really set things off was whatever she called Riley in Hebrew."

"Tony, calm down," Gibbs said. Turning to Ziva he asked, "Why were you spying on Tony?"

Ziva tried to explain. "I went by his apartment this morning and did not see his car in front of the building. I decided to come on into work and saw his car parked in front of a townhouse a few blocks away. I decided to park and watch for a little while. A few minutes later, I saw Tony come out, get into his car, and head for his apartment. I then came into the office, checked out the address and learned that the townhouse belongs to Agent Kendall."

"And this is your business because . . ."Gibbs questioned further.

Ziva remained silent. She could not give Gibbs or Tony a good reason unless she wanted to admit that she was jealous of Tony's attention to the FBI agent.

Turing to Tony, Gibbs asked, "Did you stay the night with her, Tony?

"I don't have to answer that. It's none of her business and none of yours either. But I will," replied Tony. "Yes, I stayed with her. I didn't plan it. We ordered pizza and watched a movie, and before you ask, no we weren't drinking. She doesn't drink, doesn't even allow alcohol in her house. Anyway, the movie was about over when I noticed she was asleep. I didn't want to wake her up – she'd been through hell, Boss. I decided to stretch out next to her for a few minutes and before I know it it's 5:00 am and Riley is freaking out."

"Freaking out? Why?" Gibbs was puzzled.

"She doesn't make it a habit to have men stay over. In fact, I'm apparently the first. Look. I know you all think I'm a dog who'll sleep with any pretty lady that comes along but believe it or not I've changed. The last thing I want, though, is for my reputation to damage Riley's. She doesn't deserve that. So think what you want to about me, but leave her out of it!" The last sentence was almost shouted, as he stared in Ziva's direction with an icy glare. "Now if the two of you are finished investigating my private life, I'm going to check on Riley."

TBC

A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews and story alerts. They make my day! BTW, you get more of Tony and Riley's backstory in Chapter 8.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters except Riley (and Commander Sheridan but he's dead) – the rest belong to CBS

A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting. My computer ate my previous attempt and refuses to poop it out so I had to start over. But tomorrow's the last day of school (for kids anyway – I still have to go for the rest of the week – then it's summer vacation time!)

Chapter 8: Apologies and Explanations (Not Necessarily in That Order)

By the time Riley reached Autopsy her anger had abated somewhat but her lungs were still tight. Not wanting a repeat of the previous day's episode she used her inhaler, closing her eyes as the medication eased the tension in her aching chest.

"Are you alright, my dear?" Ducky asked gently. "Do you need to sit down?" Riley was alarmingly pale and her hands were shaking. Ducky feared that she was going to have another attack which could be disastrous coming so soon after yesterday's event.

"I think maybe I should. I'm not feeling too well right now," Riley answered weakly. Ducky quickly led her to his office and settled her down on the couch. Leaving her for a moment, he returned with a cool cloth, applying it to the back of her neck.

"Just breathe, Riley. Slow and easy." Her rapid pulse rate was beginning to slow and Ducky believed that she would be fine in a few minutes. Nevertheless, he stayed by her side until he was sure.

"I'm sorry," Riley said shakily. "I kind of lost my temper back in the bullpen. Losing control is never a good idea with lungs like mine."

"What happened? Did Anthony do or say something to upset you?"

"Tony? No, it wasn't him. It was _her_. Agent David. She needs to stay out of _my_ business!

Ducky was surprised at the venom in Riley's voice when she spoke Ziva's name. He didn't know what had happened but obviously there had been some kind of situation between Riley and Ziva and it definitely had not ended well. He would have to ask Jethro later.

"For now, my dear, you need to calm down. You are going to push yourself into another attack if you are not careful."

"But I need to examine Commander Sheridan's body and . . ."

"He's not going anywhere and you still have over an hour before the meeting. Now relax. Doctor's orders."

"I'm trying, Ducky. I'm trying. Um, can we not tell anybody else about this? I'm still embarrassed enough about yesterday."

Before Ducky could answer, Tony walked into Autopsy. Seeing Riley on the couch, he immediately moved to her side, concern etched upon his face. "What's wrong? Are you okay? Ducky, is she okay?"

"So much for not telling anyone," said Riley with a sigh. To Tony she said, "I'm fine now, Tony. I just got a little upset and it triggered a very minor episode, but I'm okay. I promise."

Tony looked to Ducky for confirmation. "Are you sure she's okay, Ducky? Should we call Brad?"

"Tony, we are _not_ calling Brad!" Riley said. "Ducky please tell him I'm okay!"

"She will be fine, Tony," Ducky said with a smile. "She just needed a minute to catch her breath."

"At least I didn't puke on anybody this time," Riley joked. Without really realizing it, Tony had put his arm around her, supporting her and gently rubbing her back. Ducky noticed it and was curious about Tony's obvious concern about a new acquaintance. Perhaps he felt responsible toward her since he was instrumental in her rescue the previous day.

Ducky's questions were answered when Riley spoke to Tony. "Hey, the last time we were together in a morgue was when we were in Anatomy class at OSU."

Tony laughed. "I thought I was going to pass out, but of course DiNozzo's do _not_ pass out! And your exams were evil! You were the toughest teacher I ever had. Except maybe for Gibbs."

"So why did you sign up for two more of my classes?"

"Cause you were also the best teacher I ever had. I was hoping to take a couple more of your courses senior year but you left."

"Yeah, I had a chance to do some work in Guatemala for about 6 months. After that I joined the Marines."

Ducky had been listening to the conversation with confusion. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid I don't quite understand. You were Tony's _professor_? Aren't you younger than Tony?"

"Yeah, I know it's confusing. But here's the short version," Riley answered. "I finished medical school at 14, got my PhD in Criminology at 16, taught at OSU for two years, spent 6 months doing field work in Guatemala, spent 12 years in the Marines and the last six years in the FBI. Can I see Commander Sheridan's body now? Oh, and I need a copy of the autopsy report." Riley carefully stood up and once she was sure she wasn't going to faint, she walked out into autopsy where Commander Sheridan's body was waiting for her examination.

"I know there is much more behind that story," Ducky said. "But I suppose it will have to wait until later."

"I didn't realize she was that young when we were at OSU," Tony mused. "It was my sophomore year so she must have been 17. She was, uh, heavier then. At least when we first met. She always dressed older, you know. Baggy clothes, no makeup. She had probably lost at least 50 pounds by the end of my junior year. She told me last night that I had inspired her to lose weight."

"Has she really changed that much?"

"I didn't even recognize her, Ducky. Except her smile. And when I heard her voice – that brought back memories. How could you forget that accent?"

"I know that I'm an interesting topic of conversation," Riley called from the other room, "but I really need to see that autopsy report. Oh, and where are the gloves?"

Ducky laughed. "Duty calls."

Tony gave Riley a quick peck on the cheek before heading back up to the bullpen. "Don't scare me like that again," he said, as he left.

Engrossed in the examination of the body, Riley didn't even acknowledge him.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

McGee was just coming into work as Tony was leaving for Autopsy. It didn't take a genius (even though McGee's IQ qualified him to make that claim) to see that something was up. Tony was obviously pissed, judging by the way he stalked out of the room, and Gibbs looked like he was ready to bite Ziva's head off.

"Uh, morning guys," Tim said carefully. "Everything okay? Tony seemed a little upset."

"Ya think, McGee?" Gibbs snapped. "Ziva, my office!" Gibbs stalked toward the elevator, Ziva following in his wake. They entered, doors closing and Gibbs hit the emergency stop button.

"Something I need to know about you and DiNozzo?" Gibbs queried.

"What do you mean?" asked Ziva, knowing exactly what he meant.

"I mean, did you two forget about Rule 12?"

"No, Gibbs, we did not. There is nothing going on between Tony and me. But he is my partner and I am worried about him. I do not want him to become obsessed again like . . ."

"Bullshit! You're acting like a jealous wife and that is not like you, Ziva. You need to get yourself under control. I can't have crap like this affecting the team."

"Understood, Gibbs. It will not happen again."

"It better not." Reactivating the elevator, Gibbs pressed the button to go down to Autopsy. "Time to apologize, Ziva."

The elevator doors opened and Ziva found herself face to face with Tony.

TBC

A/N: I promise to fill in more details of Riley and Tony's history later but for now, you only get the short version (just like Ducky).


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Not mine

A/N: Sorry for the delay. Had to go out of town this weekend for a concert and had no internet access. School's out now so I have more time to write. I should be able to post daily from now on.

Chapter 9: Revelations

"Um, Tony," Ziva stammered, momentarily at a loss for words. "Could I speak to you for a moment?"

Tony looked impassively at both Ziva and Gibbs. He was still irritated, especially after seeing how the earlier confrontation had affected Riley. He knew that he was being unreasonably protective of her and it was having an impact on his attitude. "What about?" he asked shortly.

Ziva exited the elevator and moved to the hallway outside of autopsy. She wasn't really sure how to proceed so she decided to just go for it. "I was out of line, Tony. I had no business prying into your personal life. I know apologies are a sign of weakness, but.."

"Not between friends, Ziva," Tony interrupted.

"Well, it is one of Gibbs' rules but he is the one who made me apologize!"

Tony frowned. "Gibbs _made_ you? So you're only doing this because you were forced?"

"No, Tony. I know I was wrong. I do not want anything to hurt our friendship. I did not mean to insult you or your friend. Can you forgive me?"

"I'm not the one you should apologize to. With my history, I can understand why you would think the worst of me. But why did you do it Ziva? Why did you spy on me?" Tony moved closer to Ziva, looking into her eyes. He really needed to hear her reason. He needed to know how she felt about him. He was attracted to Riley, sure, but his relationship with Ziva was . . . complicated. Her answer was going to determine a lot of things. He had feelings for Ziva, but honestly he was tired of playing games. He had to know.

Ziva swallowed hard. Tony was so close, too close. How was she to answer this question? With the truth? Or more lies? "Tony, you know I care for you. I care for you very much. You are my partner, and more than that, you are my friend. I am sorry for betraying your trust." She looked down, refusing to meet his eyes.

Tony did not speak at first. His question had been answered – partner and friend. She _cared_ for her partner and friend. At least he knew where he stood and Gibbs wouldn't have to worry about Rule 12 anymore. Quietly he said, "I care for you, too, Ziva. And I trust you with my life. We're good, okay? Apology accepted. But now you're going to have to go in there and talk to Riley. And you better hurry – we have a meeting in 20 minutes. I'll see you in the conference room." He turned abruptly, leaving her in the hallway. Only after he had turned away did he allow the pain of ZIva's revelation to show on his face. He thought that there was more between them, or at least there could be more, but apparently he was wrong.

Ziva watched Tony leave not sure if she had done the right thing. But she could not dwell on it now. She had another apology to deliver. She walked into Autopsy, seeing Ducky and Riley examining Commander Sheridan's body. As she approached, she heard Riley say, "I'm missing something. It's like it's right _there_, you know, but I just can't grasp it. What am I missing!"

"Ducky," Ziva said, interrupting the conversation, "I need to have a word with Agent Kendall. Privately." Both Ducky and Riley started, not realizing that Ziva had entered the room.

"Certainly, my dear," answered Ducky, although he was a little unsure about leaving Riley's side. "We are just about finished here anyway. I'll be in my office." He moved away and seated himself at his desk, making sure he could keep an eye on the two women.

"What can I do for you?" Riley asked, her tone neutral. She refused to lose her temper again, even though Ziva's appearance had rekindled her earlier anger. She would not give the woman the satisfaction of seeing her lose control. "And you need to make it quick – we have a meeting in a few minutes."

"This will not take long." Ziva steeled herself. "I came to apologize. I had no right to spy on you and Tony and I should not have said what I did."

Riley was surprised. She had not expected an apology, but she was still hesitant. "Yeah, well you probably didn't expect me to understand it anyway, right?"

"Actually, no. I have met very few Americans that speak Hebrew as well as you. But that still does not excuse my behavior."

Riley struggled with how to respond. She didn't want to accept Ziva's apology but to reject her would be spiteful. "Whatever. Don't worry about it. I'm still mad about the whore comment, but I'll get over it. Eventually. Besides, everybody keeps reminding me that you used to be Mossad. I have a feeling that any physical confrontation would be painful. Still, it would be interesting – Mossad versus Marine."

Ziva sensed that Riley was willing to enter a truce albeit a shaky one. They were not friends and probably never would be. But they could work together, at least until this case was solved. "Perhaps we could meet in the gym one day and find out?" Ziva suggested.

"Maybe. By the way, we haven't been formally introduced – Dr. Riley Kendall, FBI." Looking Ziva in the eye, Riley held out her hand.

Taking Riley's hand and shaking it firmly, Ziva replied, "Ziva David, NCIS. Now shall we go to our meeting? We do not want to be late." The two women left Autopsy together, heading for the conference room. Ducky followed a few minutes later, leaving Palmer to take care of Commander Sheridan.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Gibbs breathed a small sigh of relief as Riley and Ziva entered the conference room together. Apparently the apology had been well-received. Ducky and Tony followed behind the two women. Fornell and Sacks were already seated as were Gibbs and McGee. Director Vance stood at the head of the table ready to start the meeting.

"You're looking better today, Agent Kendall," said Sacks.

"Gee, thanks," replied Riley. "Too bad I can't say the same about you." She knew that it wasn't a very nice comment but neither Sacks nor Fornell had bothered to check on her at the hospital. Add that to the conflict in the bullpen this morning and it all led to Riley feeling more than a little mean-spirited.

Fornell didn't attempt to hide his grin at Riley's remark. In fact, everyone except Sacks seemed to find the comment pretty amusing, especially Tony who tried to disguise his snort of laughter with a cough. Fornell spoke, a hint of laughter in his own voice, "For those of you who haven't been introduced, this is Dr. Riley Kendall. She's been working the case since the first victim. I'll let the rest of you introduce yourselves and then I'll turn the meeting over to Director Vance."

The only members of the NCIS team who had not officially been introduced to Riley were McGee, Abby and Gibbs. She had met Director Vance in Los Angeles a few months before she had moved back to DC. He acknowledged that meeting by saying, "It's good to see you again, Dr. Kendall. I didn't realize you were coming to DC. If I had known that you wanted to come back east, I would have tried to lure you away from the FBI to NCIS."

"It's nice to see you again too, sir," Riley replied. "At the time we met, I hadn't yet decided to move. My decision was rather. . . uh, sudden." Several pairs of eyes looked at Riley curiously, wondering just why she had left the Los Angeles field office to work in DC.

Tony listened to the conversation with interest. He had chosen not to sit, deciding instead to lean against the wall at the back of the room. There were only two seats available at the table – one beside Riley and the other beside Ziva. After his conversation with Ziva, he felt more comfortable staying in the background.

Director Vance started the meeting. The agents assembled discussed the information they had gathered thus far but unfortunately there was very little to go on. They were still searching for some common thread between the victims (other than the way they were murdered) that would tie the four together. Abby reviewed the forensic evidence. She had analyzed the fibers found on all four victims and determined that they all came from the same _type_ of rug but not from the _same_ rug. Ducky reviewed the autopsy report and confirmed that Commander Sheridan's injuries were the same as those of the previous victims. Finally, everyone looked at Riley. They were hoping for some insight into the mind of the killer.

Unfortunately, Riley could not provide that information. "I'm sorry. I don't have a complete profile yet. There are too many things that don't fit. I'm really puzzled by the lack of signs of struggle and the dislocated. . ." Riley stopped. To the others it looked like someone had pulled the plug – she simply stopped talking and her face went blank. Ducky was more than a little concerned, thinking she was about to have another attack. He started to move to her, but stopped when she began speaking, almost to herself.

"Can it be? There are so few of them. But the bodies were moved. How could. . . an accomplice? Yes, that would work. That would explain everything. We just need to find out how. . ." Riley stopped again, realizing that everyone was looking at her like she had lost her mind.

Speaking to the others, Riley said softly, "I think I can give you a profile now."

TBC

A/N: BTW – was Ziva telling the truth or was it a lie? I'm not telling – yet!


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Not mine – Darn it!

A/N: Sorry for the delay. I have been exceedingly lazy (and struggling with this chapter – I know where I'm going after this but I have to get past this part to get to the fun stuff.) Bear with me, please!

Chapter 10: Inside the Mind of a Killer

Riley looked at the expectant faces around the table. "Our killer is Caucasian, between 25 and 35 years old, a victim of sexual abuse during childhood and teenage years. The reason that we found no defensive wounds on any of the murder victims is that they allowed themselves to be bound, in fact, they paid for the privilege." Riley paused, knowing that her next words would definitely get a reaction. "She's a dominatrix – she probably advertises her services on craigslist or something similar. She kills alone but uses an accomplice to move the body from the murder scene to the dump site."

"Wait a minute!" shouted Sacks. "Did you say _she_? You're trying to tell us that a _woman_ did this?"

"While I admit that female serial killers are rare, they are not unheard of. Countess Elizabeth Bathory is believed to have killed as many as 600 young women in the early 1600's. She actually bathed in their blood believing it would make her more beautiful. And it's possible that there are more female serial killers than we know of – they may just be better at getting away with it."

"While the theory of a female killer/dominatrix does explain the lack of any signs of struggle, how do you explain the dislocated shoulders?" Ducky interjected.

Riley smiled. "I think I can demonstrate that. Agent Sacks, could you lie down on the floor, please?"

They were giving her the crazy lady look again, especially Sacks. "Why do you want me to get on the damn floor?" he asked angrily.

"I need to test something. And please don't use profanity. I find it offensive. Now, are you going to get down on the floor or do need to assist you?"

"Do it, Sacks," ordered Fornell, "or we'll never get a complete profile." Sacks complied, complaining all the while.

"I'm sorry to have to use you for this demonstration, Agent Sacks, but you are about the same height and weight as our last victim," continued Riley. "You don't have shoulder problems do you?"

"No. Why?" Sacks was beginning to worry, but everyone else was enjoying his discomfort. Apparently Tony wasn't the only one who disliked him.

"Oh, don't worry. This won't hurt. Tony, could you please grab Agent Sacks by the arm and drag him across the floor?" Tony grinned widely and moved toward Sacks, who protested loudly. Grabbing Sacks by the left hand, he easily pulled him several feet along the carpet.

"Keep going, Tony," Riley said. "See how smoothly Tony is pulling Agent Sacks? Now, Ziva, could you please do the same thing?" Ziva complied, pulling Sacks back to his original position.

"Do you see the difference?" Riley asked. "Keep going, Ziva – see how she has to almost jerk him across the floor?"

"You can get up now, Sacks," said Riley. Looking at Dr. Mallard she asked, "Do you see it? Does it make sense?"

"Perfect sense, Dr. Kendall," answered Ducky. "I can't believe we didn't see it before."

"That's because we assumed we were looking for a man. She drags them from the kill site and rolls them up in a rug, evidenced by the rug fibers that we found on the bodies. Her accomplice then helps her move the body to the dump site. I would suggest looking for the rug in dumpsters in the vicinity of the last murder. You won't find the victims' clothing. She keeps it. She meets her victims near her apartment, probably in a bar but not necessarily the same bar every time. She may have several, uh, appointments with the victims before killing them, giving them a false sense of security. Check credit card records several weeks prior to the murders for bar receipts. I know you've checked out their computers, but they may not have used personal or work computers for these activities. Check out public computers near their homes or workplaces. I'll compile my results and email my report to all of you within the hour. Or if you would rather have a hard copy, let me know and I'll print it out for you. Any questions?" Riley looked around the room. "Okay, then. Is there somewhere I can work?"

Gibbs directed Riley to an empty desk in the bullpen and she left the room to type up her report. When she left, the conference room erupted in conversations. Everyone was speaking at once, some in agreement with Riley and others dismissing the profile as garbage. Suddenly, an ear-piercing whistle split the air.

"Enough!" shouted Gibbs. "Whether you agree with her or not, we at least have a place to start. McGee, check out the computer records and search for any public computers. Tony, Ziva – check out the receipts. Fornell, you guys can check out the dumpsters."

"And why should we get dumpster duty?" asked Fornell.

"Cause my team is busy following up on leads that your people missed! Now, I'm going for coffee." Gibbs strode out of the room, his team following quickly behind him. Vance, Ducky and Abby also left quickly, trying but not succeeding in hiding their amusement.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Back in the bullpen, everyone was working on their assigned tasks. Riley was rapidly typing on her laptop. McGee noticed that she was not using any notes and commented on it. "Do you have your notes on your laptop? I don't see any hard copies."

"No," Riley replied as she continued working. "I'm eidetic. I never take notes. I remember everything I see, hear or read – which is not always a good thing."

"Whoa, remind me never to play movie trivia with you," Tony said. "And I guess that explains why you never used notes in class."

"In class?" McGee asked. "What does that mean?"

"Riley and I were at OSU together. That's why she seemed so familiar at the crime scene yesterday. We had a few classes together," Tony answered, implying that they were students together, rather than the true student/teacher relationship. Riley looked at him and smiled gratefully. The truth led to too many questions. "By the way, Riley, did you really have to do that 'demonstration' in the conference room? Not that I'm complaining, mind you. I kind of enjoyed dragging Sacks around the room."

Riley grinned. "I didn't really _have_ to do it. I could have just explained it. But I really don't like him very much." Everyone laughed as they all got to work on their respective tasks.

A little later Riley asked McGee, "If I email this to you, can you forward it to everyone else – and maybe print one out for Gibbs. He doesn't seem like the email type."

"Sure, Riley," answered McGee. He gave her his email address and she quickly sent the file to him.

"Okay, guys. My work here is done. It was really great working with you." Everyone looked up in surprise.

"You're leaving?" asked Ziva. "But the case is not solved."

"That's not my job. I do the profile, give you my report and go back to my office. If our killer strikes again, I'll come to the site and reevaluate the profile, but other than that I'm finished. I'm, uh, not allowed to do field work anymore. You probably figured that out yesterday."

"You're forgetting something," said Tony. "You don't have a car."

"Oh, poop!" Riley said, causing everyone else to erupt in laughter.

"Poop?" said McGee. "Who says 'poop'?"

"I do!" answered Riley, laughing with them. "My other preferred exclamation is 'monkey-on-a-stick' – I have no idea what it means. But anyway, I'll just catch a cab to the Hoover building. My car's there. Tell the others I said good-bye. It was really nice seeing you again, Tony."

"Wait, I'll walk out with you," Tony said. "If Gibbs comes in, tell him I'll be right back."

Tony and Riley walked to the elevator. "You don't have to do this. I'm a big girl now."

"Hey, can't a guy be a gentleman? Besides, I wanted to talk to you for a minute." They were on the elevator now and Tony reached over and hit the emergency stop, hoping that Gibbs didn't choose this moment to come back. "I was wondering if you would like to go out sometime. A real dinner, not takeout."

"Are you asking me on a date?" asked Riley. "I thought that you and Agent David were. . . you know, especially the way she reacted this morning."

"Ziva is my partner and my friend. She cares for me, but not like _that_." Tony quickly quelled the wave of sadness that came with this admission, but Ziva had made her feelings quite clear. Riley saw his pained expression, however brief it was, and wondered if Tony's feelings were stronger than Ziva's. For that reason, she was hesitant to accept his invitation.

"I don't know, Tony. I don't want you to feel obligated to me after yesterday. I'm fine now."

"Riley, this is not out of obligation. You are a very beautiful and intelligent woman and I would be an idiot if I didn't want to get to know you better. So how about it? Dinner tonight – I'll pick you up around 7:00."

Not sure if she was doing the right thing, Riley finally agreed. "Okay, see you tonight."

With a grin, Tony hit the emergency stop button again, putting the elevator in motion. As they reached the main floor and the doors opened, he leaned over and kissed Riley – just as Gibbs stepped into the elevator.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Usual stuff – don't own them just playing with them.

Chapter 11: Secrets

Leroy Jethro Gibbs was pissed. Someone had apparently hit the emergency stop button on the elevator and Gibbs didn't like it when other people used his 'office'. He was about to use the stairs (vowing to head slap whoever was in the elevator) when he realized it was moving again. As the doors opened he started to step inside – and saw his Senior Field Agent kissing an FBI agent. Hiding his grin, he growled, "This isn't exactly what I had in mind when I told you to cooperate with the FBI, DiNozzo."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Riley felt herself responding to Tony's kiss. This wasn't like the gentle kiss this morning – God, was that just this morning? - it was deeper, warmer, more intense. Tony's arm reached around behind her, pulling her closer and she moved her body into his. They didn't notice when the elevator doors opened but both of them jumped when Gibbs spoke.

Gibbs almost laughed at the twin expressions of embarrassment on the two faces. They looked like a couple of teenagers caught by an overprotective father. Agent Kendall quickly looked down, blushing furiously and DiNozzo – he had never seen DiNozzo so uncomfortable (and he had seen him in some highly embarrassing situations.)

"I'll see you later, Riley," Tony said softly, giving her another soft kiss before she almost ran from the elevator. Gibbs joined him and pressed the button for the bullpen, noticing that Tony kept his eyes on Riley until the doors shut.

"You have the information I asked for, DiNozzo? 'Cause I can't imagine why you would leave your desk without completing your assignment to cop a feel in the elevator," Gibbs asked sarcastically.

Gibbs was surprised at Tony's tone when he answered. He sounded almost angry. "I wasn't 'copping a feel', Boss. I was kissing her and unless rule 12 is now an interagency policy, I don't see why that's any of your concern. And before you ask, yes, I have the information you asked for - you want it here or in the bullpen?"

Gibbs was right – Tony _was_ angry. "What's going on DiNozzo? I've never seen you like this. Frankly I've been worried that you and Ziva might have blown Rule 12 out the window but that doesn't seem to be the case."

Tony sighed. Even Gibbs thought something was going on – and Gibbs was never wrong. Except, apparently, about Tony and Ziva. "We came close, Boss. And honestly, I thought there was something there. But Ziva made it clear earlier that she viewed me as her partner and friend, nothing more. So if I decide to reconnect with an old college friend, there shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"No problem, DiNozzo. Agent Kendall seems like a nice girl – for an FBI agent. So you knew her from college?"

They were out of the elevator now, heading into the bullpen when Tony answered, "Yeah, I was in a few of her classes."

Hearing the conversation, McGee asked, "Which classes?" He was having trouble envisioning Tony and Riley in _any_ of the same classes.

"Uh, Anatomy and Physiology, Intro to Criminology and Sociological Theory." Seeing McGee's expression of interest, Tony quickly changed the subject and began giving Gibbs the information he had found reviewing the receipts. "It was right there, Boss. The first three victims all visited bars in the same area in the weeks before they were murdered. It wasn't the same bar, so apparently the FBI didn't make a connection. We're still retrieving Commander Sheridan's records but I wouldn't be surprised if we found the same pattern."

"I just finished looking at the Commander's credit card records. He also visited a different bar in the same area two weeks before his murder," Ziva interjected.

"Good work," said Gibbs. "You two go, take photos of the victims and visit the bars. See if anybody remembers them and who they were with."

"On it, boss," said Tony and he and Ziva headed for the elevator.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

There was an awkwardness in the car that had never been there before. Tony was driving and Ziva was amazed at how quiet he was. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea, but she had to break the silence. "Are you okay, Tony?"

"Yeah, Ziva. I'm fine. Just been a couple of crazy days."

"I know have already apologized but. . ."

"Let it go, Ziva. I told you – we're good. And I'm glad I know where we stand." Tony hesitated. "I asked her out – Agent Kendall, I mean." He glanced at Ziva, trying to gauge her reaction. He was almost disappointed to see her smile.

"That is good, Tony. She seems very, uh, nice."

"She is. She's different. I don't know if it's going to go anywhere – this could be our first and last date." It felt weird discussing Riley with Ziva. But she _seemed_ to be okay with it? Was she really?

Ziva was trying to maintain her composure. She wanted to scream at Tony, to tell him how she really felt. But she could not. He had already moved on. Obviously she was wrong when she thought he had feelings for her. Of course, it was her own fault. She had told him that he was just her partner and friend. She wished that she could go back in time and tell him the truth – rule 12 be damned! But it was too late. She had her chance and she had let it pass. Now she would have to live with her decision.

"Ziva?" Tony's voice startled Ziva out of her reverie. "We're here. Let's go in and see if we can find out anything that will help us find the bitch that killed our victims. Grateful for the work that would take her mind off Tony and Riley, Ziva followed Tony into the first bar.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Three hours and four bars later, Tony and Ziva returned to the bullpen. Three of the victims had been seen and two of the bartenders had seen the victims leave with a woman. Their descriptions of the woman were virtually identical so both men were coming in the following morning to work with a sketch artist. The two agents reported their findings to Gibbs and then sat down to do the paperwork.

"Good work, you two," said Gibbs, doling out rare praise. "I'm going to Abby's lab to see how she and McGee are doing with those computer records. When you finish your reports you can head out, but make sure I can get in touch with you if I need you." Gibbs headed for the elevator but not before noticing how quickly Tony was doing his paperwork. "Got a date tonight, DiNozzo?"

"As a matter of fact, Boss," replied Tony, "I do. I think she'll understand if I'm a little late though – as long as I call her."

"Just make sure you're here on time in the morning or there will be hell to pay." Smirking, Gibbs stalked off to the elevator.

A little while later, Tony finished his report, emailing it and printing out a copy for Gibbs. He put on his coat and grabbed his bag. Checking his watch, he realized that he wasn't going to make it by seven. He pulled out his phone to call Riley and Ziva listened to his side of the conversation. "Hey, Riley. Listen, I'm gonna be a little late. How about 8:00 instead of 7:00?" He paused, listening to her reply. "Everything's fine - we may have a break on the case. I'll tell you about it later." He paused again, grinning. "I don't know - casual? – Great, see you at eight."

As he started to leave the bullpen, he turned to his partner. "Goodnight, Ziva. See you in the morning." He couldn't quite decipher the look on her face. "You okay?" Date or no date, he wasn't leaving his partner if something was wrong.

"I am fine, Tony," answered ZIva, angry at herself for being caught with her defenses down. "I am just tired. Now, go – before you are late and that little Marine kicks your ass." She smiled at Tony and he left, glancing back at her a couple of times. It was only after she heard the elevator doors close that she dropped her guard. No one saw her pain as she realized that she had lost him.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah, not mine (monkey-on-a-stick!)

Chapter 12: Date Night

Riley was standing in the doorway of her closet wearing nothing but her underwear, trying desperately to figure out exactly what Tony had meant by 'casual'. Did he mean jeans and a sweatshirt casual or khakis and a sweater casual? Sighing, she looked at her watch – 7:30. She had better decide fast or Tony was going to catch her in her panties. Blushing at the image, Riley thought about her day.

She was mortified that Gibbs had caught them kissing in the elevator. And before she could escape, Tony kissed her again. Then she was totally distracted all afternoon since she couldn't get that kiss out of her mind. Luckily she only had to go through emails and do paperwork because she couldn't have come up with a solid profile if her life depended on it. She was grateful when the day ended and she could just go home.

When Tony had called, she believed he was calling to cancel. But the extra hour ended up being necessary – especially since she was _still_ in her underwear. Finally she decided to split the difference – skinny jeans tucked into black boots and a soft grey v-necked sweater. Putting on the ensemble, she noticed that the neckline was a little more revealing than she realized so she added a scarf. 7:45 – too late to change now. Hopefully, she had interpreted Tony's 'casual' correctly. Taking a deep breath, she went downstairs. She was acting like this was her first date – okay, so there hadn't been that many but she had been out with guys before. But this was her fantasy – and she didn't want to screw it up.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Tony drove up to Riley's townhouse with five minutes to spare. He had barely had time to shower and change into jeans and a sweater. He was surprised to realize that he was nervous; of course, he really wasn't the ladies man that everyone thought he was – that was just an act, what they expected. However, he was still pretty experienced when it came to dating. So why should Riley make him feel like a teenager on his first date. Maybe because he knew up front that there was no way he was going to end up in bed with her – that _was_ new territory. But it was kind of nice, dating a good girl for a change. He just hoped she wasn't _too_ good. A little harmless making out wasn't too much to ask, was it? He would just have to wait and see how the evening turned out. Getting out of the car, he went to Riley's door and rang the bell.

Riley laughed when she opened the door to see Tony standing there in jeans with a black jacket over his grey sweater. "What's so funny?" he asked, confused by her reaction.

"Nothing," she answered, "except maybe our matching outfits!"

Tony joined her laughter. "Hey, what do you expect? Good taste just shines through." And she did look good. Riley's suits were expensive and conservative but they camouflaged an amazing body. The sweater she was wearing fit well, clinging in all the right places. Tony tried not to stare as he helped her with her coat.

"So where are you taking me?" He really looked good. He was one of those men who would look comfortable in anything from Armani to sweats. His jeans fit him way too good and Riley felt the beginnings of a blush as she noticed just how well they fit.

"I know we had pizza last night, but there's a little Italian place that I know that has the best authentic Italian food in the city. Is that okay with you?"

"Definitely! I love Italian. Do they have cheesecake? I have been craving cheesecake all day."

Tony laughed again. So many of the women he knew were so picky about what they ate – nothing but salads and other healthy crap and they never wanted dessert. "How does homemade New York style cheesecake sound?"

"Can we eat dessert first?"

Tony found that talking to Riley was effortless. They discussed the progress that had been made on the case, and the conversation from there had covered everything from favorite movies to college basketball. Riley confessed that even though she had gone to Duke she was a shameless UNC Tarheels fan. And Tony was right – the food was amazing and the cheesecake was to die for. Riley thought she was going to explode – but she still ate it all. Tony couldn't believe someone so small could eat so much. "Where do you put it? You must be hollow!"

"I don't eat like this all the time. But I like good food and I'm not going to deny myself the pleasure of enjoying it. I stay active so I can splurge a little every once and a while," Riley said, licking her fork to remove the last of the cheesecake.

It was only after Tony had paid the check and they were on the way back to Riley's place that they both grew quiet. Riley was trying to decide whether or not to invite Tony in. In the past the men she had dated had expected to come in – and to stay the night, but she didn't think Tony would be the same. Would he?

For his part, Tony was also trying to figure out how to end the evening. It had been great and he didn't want to ruin it by doing the wrong thing. He was usually able to get an invitation to come inside and often stayed until morning but this was different. He would just follow her lead – he would walk her to the door and see what happened.

Tony parked and walked around the car to open Riley's door. He helped her out and they headed for her townhouse, Tony's hand resting lightly on Riley's back. As she unlocked the door, she turned to him as if making a decision and said, "Would you like to come in? Have some coffee?"

"Sure," Tony replied easily, his tone masking his sudden nervousness. Going inside, he helped Riley with her coat and then removed his own jacket, hanging both on the coat tree next to the door.

"Why don't you pick out a movie while I get the coffee? I promise not to go to sleep this time. I mean, if you want to stay long enough to watch something."

"Yeah, it's still early. Any preferences?"

"No, you pick," Riley called from the kitchen. "Do you want regular coffee or a latte? I have caramel, vanilla, and hazelnut. And I can make it decaf it you want."

"A hazelnut latte would be great, if it's not too much trouble. Decaf is probably a good idea, too. The last thing I need is to get wired not be able to sleep. Gibbs will kill me if I'm late in the morning."

"Decaf it is. And don't worry. I'll make sure you get home in time to get a good night's sleep. I mean, I'd hate to kick Gibbs' butt for killing you after waiting 20 years for a date."

They drank their lattes and watched the movie (_Arsenic and Old Lace_ with Cary Grant) in comfortable silence, broken only by their laughter at the antics of the characters on the screen. Riley was almost sad when the movie ended because it meant Tony would be leaving and she wondered what it would be like to _really_ sleep with him. Feeling the heat rise to her cheeks once again, she was glad that Tony wasn't looking at her.

"I guess it's time for me to go," Tony said reluctantly. He stood and she stood with him, wanting him to stay but not daring to ask. Tony continued, speaking softly as he gazed down into her eyes, "I really enjoyed being with you to night and I want to see you again – if that's what you want."

Riley couldn't speak – she didn't trust her voice – so she simply nodded, eyes wide and lips slightly parted. Tony couldn't resist and he leaned down and kissed her. This wasn't the like the kisses earlier – this one was much more passionate and Riley responded hungrily, her mouth open to receive his probing tongue. They almost fell back down to the couch, somehow sitting without breaking the kiss. When they finally came up for air, Tony was the first to speak, "Wow. That was, just. . .wow!"

"You took the words right out of my mouth. Literally," Riley said. "I've never been kissed like that before."

"Then maybe we should do it again." Tony's mouth was on hers again and she didn't resist, couldn't resist. Both of them lost track of time as they simply kissed and caressed each other on the couch. After what seemed like an eternity, Tony spoke softly, "If I don't leave now, we're going to do something that I don't think either of us are ready for. It's not that I don't want you – God knows I do – but I don't want to mess this up."

"And just what is _this_?" Riley asked.

"I don't know yet, but I can't wait to find out." Kissing her softly one last time, Tony got up and went to the door, grabbing his jacket. "I'll call you tomorrow. Goodnight."

He went out, leaving Riley sitting breathless on the sofa.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Do I have to say it again! NO They're not mine!

A/N: Thanks for all of your reviews and for adding my story to your alerts and favorites! You guys are great! And sorry for the delay in posting – grad school is kicking my butt! I'll try to do better!

Chapter 13: Dreams and Revelations

Ziva entered the bullpen at 7:15 fully expecting to be the only one there (except for Gibbs, of course); however, she was stunned to see that Tony was already at his desk and had apparently been there for a while. Hiding her surprise, she greeted him, "Good morning, Tony. You are here early. For a change."

"Yeah, two days in a row," he answered with a grin. "Gonna ruin my reputation."

Ziva was secretly hoping that his date the previous evening had been a disaster and that he had come in to work late last night, but Tony looked too well-groomed and rested for that to be the case. Hating herself for asking, she asked, "So how was the date last night?"

Before Tony could answer, McGee came in. He had heard Ziva's question and interrupted the conversation, "Are you crazy, Ziva? Do you _want_ to get him started about his latest sexual conquest?"

Ziva and Tim were both startled at Tony's reaction. "Watch your mouth, McGee!" Tony said angrily. "Don't be making smart-ass comments when you don't have a clue what you're talking about!"

"DiNozzo!" shouted Gibbs. He had learned the day before that Tony was extremely protective of Riley but obviously Tim and Ziva were not aware of that fact. "Back off. What do you expect with your history?"

Tony took a calming breath. "You're right. I probably deserved that. Sorry, Probie."

"Don't apologize. . ." Tim began.

"I know – sign of weakness. But not between friends."

"So you did not answer my question, Tony," Ziva pressed.

Tony couldn't hide his grin. "It was great. I mean, we just had dinner and then watched an old movie at her place. We even managed to stay awake for the whole movie this time."

"So, are you going to see her again?" asked Tim.

"I sure hope so, Probie, I sure hope so."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Riley awoke at 5:00 from a very _naughty_ dream. The dream started where she and Tony had left off the night before and progressed from there. She didn't know if being with Tony for real was anything like what she had just dreamed about but if it was half as good. . .Riley mentally shook herself. She was actually blushing – over a _dream._ But oh, what a dream it was.

She had always been very careful in relationships. Not that she had really had any true relationships. Most of them ended before they ever got started. The longest she had ever dated anyone was three weeks and they had never gone beyond the chaste kiss on the front porch stage – which was probably why it ended after three weeks. And with her past, she never felt that she was capable of entering into any kind of lasting relationship. What was it about Tony that made her want to try? Who was she kidding? Unless Tony had changed a lot over the years, he was a player, not a relationship kind of guy. But she could at least enjoy it while it lasted.

Smiling over the dream, she got out of bed to run a few miles on the treadmill before going to work. She wondered vaguely if Tony would call her today. After her workout and shower, she dressed, had a quick breakfast and headed for work.

Riley was at her desk before 7:00. She had couple of things to finish up and then she had to testify in court at 9:00. Hopefully it wouldn't take all day. Last time she testified, the defense had used so many delaying tactics that it took three days before she was finally called to the stand – three days for less than two hours of testimony. Sighing, Riley gathered the files pertinent to the case. She really didn't need them, but the prosecutor didn't understand that. If it made him happy for her to have lots of paperwork in front of her, then she wouldn't deny him.

Mentally, she reviewed the profile that she had given NCIS and the FBI. She wasn't completely satisfied with it – she really needed more data. She had gone over all four murders in detail and unless the new leads generated more information, the only way she was going to get more data was if the killer struck again. And if their unsub stayed true to pattern, they could expect that to happen in about four weeks.

Why four weeks between kills? What was driving her (and Riley was sure that the killer was female) to that time frame? What was Riley missing? She wasn't sure but she knew that she had to figure it out before someone else died. Maybe she should call Aaron.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The two bartenders had come in and worked with the sketch artist so now NCIS and the FBI had a picture of the suspect. She was pretty, almost child-like, with big brown eyes and short dark hair. Later that afternoon Tony and Ziva would revisit all of the bars they had been to the day before, now armed with a good description of the potential killer. Hopefully they would get a hit before she struck again.

In the meantime, they had paperwork – Tony suspected that it multiplied at night, like rabbits. Every time you thought it was finished, there was more to take its place. What happened to the so-called paperless office? Weren't computers supposed to mean _less_ paperwork? He stretched, loosening the taut muscles across his shoulders. Checking the time, he wondered if Riley would be free for lunch. He quickly sent her a text: '_got a drawing of the suspect – I'll get mcgee to email to you – lunch?'_

A few minutes later, Tony received a reply: '_just got out of court –BORING – lunch sounds great meet you at ncis?'_

'_works for me – c u in a few'_ Smiling, Tony went back to his paperwork as he waited for Riley to arrive.

About 20 minutes later, the elevator dinged and Riley walked into the bullpen. "I understand we know what our suspect looks like," she said, smiling at Tony.

"I have the sketch on my screen," said McGee. "I'll put it up on the plasma."

Riley looked at the likeness silently. Seeing the likeness, she began to doubt her first inclination that the woman was a pro. She definitely needed to talk to Aaron. If the BAU was in town, she would try to get in touch with him this afternoon. Realizing she had again gone zombie, she spoke to the others in the room, "Sorry, I tend to zone out when I'm thinking about a profile. I may have to make a few modifications – I should have revisions by this afternoon. Agent McGee, could you email the sketch to me, please?"

"Already done. Tony asked me to take care of that awhile ago. And by the way, it's Tim," answered McGee.

"Thanks, Tim. As long as you call me Riley." Ziva rolled her eyes. Agent Kendall had all of the men in NCIS panting after her like dogs around a bitch in heat. Riley noticed Ziva's reaction but chose not to acknowledge it. Tony said that there was nothing between him and Ziva but Riley still wasn't so sure.

"So how was court this morning?" asked Tony.

"Mind numbing. My testimony was basically a formality but it's best to get everything on the record. That way if there's an appeal it's all documented. I'm just glad it's over."

"You ready for lunch? We're gonna go grab a bite, Boss. That okay?"

"No problem, DiNozzo. Just don't take the whole afternoon," answered Gibbs.

"Thanks, Boss. Anybody want to join us?" Tony asked.

"I was going out with Abby," said Tim. "I'll see if she wants to come with." He called Abby and got a enthusiastic yes. Apparently she wanted to find out more about Riley. "You coming too, Ziva?"

Ziva hesitated. She did not really want to eat lunch with Tony and his new girlfriend but if she said no she would appear to be jealous. "Yes, I would like that. Are we ready?"

"Gibbs, you coming?" Tony asked, not really expecting an affirmative answer. Unsurprisingly, Gibbs declined. The elevator dinged again and Abby held the door so they could join her. As they walked out, Tony placed his arm around Riley, his hand resting gently on her back. Ziva walked behind them, trying to subdue the pain that she felt as she observed that simple gesture. Why had she agreed to go to lunch with them? It was going to be sheer torture.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Rejection

Ziva had never been so glad to get back to work. As she had expected, lunch was an ordeal. But she pretended to have a good time because, damn it, everyone else actually _did _have fun. It did not help that she was the odd man out – Abby and Tim, Tony and _her_ and poor little Ziva all by herself. Ziva had hoped that Abby would be her ally, but no. Abby and _she_ got along wonderfully well, getting into a discussion about music that none of the others had ever even heard of. Plus _she_ understood all of Abby and Tim's techno-speak without them having to dumb it down (like they did for everyone else.) And then there was Tony. He couldn't keep his hands off of _her_. Nothing blatant, really. Just a gentle touch on the arm or shoulder, a soft brushing away of a stray strand of hair. What was that saying, you do not know what you have until it is gone? At least _she_ was not going back to the bullpen.

Abby and Tim headed inside, Ziva following slowly, watching as Tony remained behind to talk to Riley. "Do you want to come over tonight? Ziva and I have to revisit those bars, but we could have a late dinner and watch a movie if you want."

"Sorry, I can't tonight. I already have plans," Riley answered. She didn't notice as Tony's face fell but Ziva's brightened. "I'm going to revise the profile but I want to run in by someone else before I give you the changes. It may be tomorrow before I get it out to you. Call me if you get any hits on the sketch – or if you don't. I should be home by 10:30 or so."

"Okay," Tony said, disappointed. "I'll give you a call later tonight." He gave her a kiss on the cheek and opened her car door, then watched her as she left the Navy Yard. He really wanted to ask Riley about her plans but he figured it was none of his business. He headed for the elevator, not seeing Ziva who heard the entire conversation.

Ziva was delighted (although she would never let Tony know). She had heard Riley turn Tony down – apparently Tony was the only one who had a good time on the date the night before. Regardless, she was glad to know that Tony would not be spending another night in the company of Agent Riley Kendall. Smiling for the first time that day, Ziva headed for the bullpen.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Riley really would have loved to spend another evening with Tony. Truth be told, she'd like to spend every _minute_ with him. But it was Wednesday – that meant working with the youth at church followed by choir practice. There were times that her work took her away from church, but she rarely missed otherwise. Had it not been for her faith, she would have never survived the events of her past. And nothing, not even the lure of Tony DiNozzo, would keep her from attending services.

Going back to her desk, Riley made a few changes to the profile. She no longer believed that the suspect was a prostitute who engaged in BDSM. Instead, Riley believed that she "courted" her victims, seeing them over several weeks and gradually introducing them to the BDSM lifestyle. Once the men were comfortable with being restrained, it would be easy for the killer to take their lives. When she was finished with her revisions, she called Aaron Hotchner at the Behavioral Analysis Unit. She still felt the profile was incomplete and she hoped that Aaron could give her some input. She just hated to ask about a knife wielding serial killer so soon after Aaron's experience with the Reaper but Aaron was one of the best profilers that Riley had ever met and she needed his help.

Luckily, the BAU was in town having just returned from Alabama After speaking with Aaron, Riley emailed the profile to him and made plans to meet for an early dinner. She knew that he didn't like to be away from his son Jack any more than necessary and Riley had to be at church by 7:00, so they agreed to meet at a Greek restaurant near the church at 5:00.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Tony was quiet. That in itself was strange enough, but he was also working – really working, not pretending – without giving everyone else a hard time. Gibbs and McGee kept glancing at Tony, enjoying the silence but knowing that something was wrong but not knowing what. Ziva, however, was pretty sure what was bothering Tony. She had heard Tony's conversation with Riley and had seen his disappointment when Riley had told him that she had plans. Frowning, Ziva thought about Tony's reaction. He had been rejected before – why was this so different? He couldn't be falling for Riley, could he? Surely not this soon.

Tony worked to try to keep his mind off of what had happened after lunch. At least the rest of the team hadn't been there. He had a reputation to uphold. He knew that he was sulking but he really wanted to see Riley again. Still, they had only dated once (Monday didn't count) and he couldn't expect her to cancel any plans that she had already made. Brightening a little, he decided to call her later and ask her out for the weekend. Maybe that would be far enough in advance. Smiling, he wadded up a piece of paper and let it fly toward McGee's head.

"Tony! Cut it out!" shouted McGee. "I knew it was too good to last!"

"Sorry, McGoo! Finished my paperwork and now I'm bored!" Tony laughed. "But don't worry – Ziva and I have to head out in a few to hit the bars again. Ready to go my ninja?"

"Is it not a little early to be leaving?" Ziva asked. "The bars do not get busy until later in the evening."

"True Ziva, but I want to talk to the bartenders and wait staff before it gets too crowded. I definitely don't want our suspect to see us, so earlier is better."

"That actually makes sense. For a change."

"We're gonna head on out, Boss. We'll call if we get a hit."

"You do that, DiNozzo," said Gibbs. "And be careful. Like you said, we don't want to tip off our killer."

Tony and Ziva left the bullpen and headed for the elevator. They got in the car and left the Navy Yard, Tony driving. "So, you are not seeing Riley tonight?" Ziva asked innocently, even though she knew the answer.

"No, she already had plans. Plus we'll be out kind of late anyway. I'll call her later." Tony tried to gloss it over, but Ziva could see that he was still a little hurt.

"Since it will be a late night, should we not eat dinner early? McGee told me about a very good restaurant that he went to last week. Do you like Greek food?"

"Sounds good. Where is it?"

TBC

A/N: Uh oh. BTW sorry about the delay – I really need to stop _reading_ everybody else's fanfiction and start _writing _my own!


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: The usual – I don't own any recognizable characters – just playing with 'em some more.

Chapter 15: Misunderstanding

Tony and Ziva entered the Akropolis Greek restaurant and were escorted to a table near the back of the room. Neither of them really noticed the dark haired man sitting a few tables away. "If the food tastes as good as it smells it's going to be amazing!" said Tony.

"I agree," Ziva said, smiling. She was pleased to see that Tony was acting more like Tony, and she was looking forward to having dinner with him before they had to canvass all of the bars. Again. "I love Greek food."

"Me too! Of course, I like just about anything."

Ziva laughed. It was nice to spend time with Tony. She had learned a long time ago that the frat boy persona was just an act. He was actually very intelligent and one of the most skilled investigators that she had ever worked with. She often wondered why he felt the need to act so juvenile and suspected that it may have had something to do with his rarely-mentioned childhood. Perhaps someday he would feel comfortable enough to share some of his past with her.

The waitress approached and they placed their drink order while deciding on their meal. As they perused the menu, Tony heard a familiar voice. He looked up to see Riley walking over to the dark haired man. Tony watched as the man stood and helped Riley with her coat before seating her at his table. She had not seen Tony and Ziva where they sat further back in the dining room.

Tony watched Riley as she talked to the man. They spoke quietly and Tony saw her place her hand gently over the man's hand. Tony could tell that they were in a very intense conversation and he was curious as to what they were discussing.

Ziva noticed Tony's change in attitude and turned to see Riley seated at a table near the front of the room. "You really like her, do you not?" queried Ziva softly.

"Yeah, I do," answered Tony. "I know it's crazy to feel like this after one date but there's. . . I don't know, _something_ there, you know." He hesitated. "Ziva, there was a time that I thought that maybe you and I could have had something more. You know, more than partners and friends. But the thought of screwing it up and destroying what we have now – I couldn't stand losing you. I'm afraid to risk what _is_ for what _might_ be. You mean too much to me."

Ziva was stunned. She had not expected such a revelation from Tony, and although she also desired something more in their relationship, she realized that Tony was right. If they decided to defy Gibbs and break Rule 12, what would happen if things did not work out? Could they ever go back to the way things were before? "I understand, Tony. I confess that I had similar feelings. But, like you, I was afraid to allow things to go too far." It would not be easy, but she would rather have Tony as a friend than to lose him completely. She had experienced that already after the whole disaster with Michael – and the aftermath. She did not want to go through that again – ever. Changing the subject, she asked, "What are you going to order?"

Realizing that Ziva was closing the subject, Tony went back to the menu, trying not to look at Riley Kendall having dinner with another man. Ziva, on the other hand, glared at Riley. Tony may not say anything but she could tell he was bothered by Riley being with someone else.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Riley was late and she hated being late. Fornell had stopped her as she was leaving the Hoover building, and then she had gotten stuck in rush hour traffic. She walked into the restaurant ten minutes late and immediately began apologizing to Aaron. "I am so sorry! Have you been waiting long?"

Aaron stood and helped her with her coat before holding out her chair and seating her at the table. "No problem. I've only been here a few minutes myself."

"Liar. You're always early."

"Guilty. I just didn't want to make you feel bad."

Riley paused. "How are you, Aaron? Really? I almost didn't want to ask for your help on this one."

"It's okay, Riley. Jack and I are making it one day at a time. Some days are harder than others but we're surviving. And don't ever feel bad about asking for my help! I know you would do the same thing for me. In fact, you _have_ done the same thing for me – more than once."

Riley reached over and placed her hand on Aaron's. "If you need to talk, call me. You know I'm a good listener. And it will give me a chance to return the favor for all the times you listened to me pour my guts out."

"Thanks, Riley. I appreciate it."

"Listen, when the weather warms up, why don't you take Jack down to the farm. I'll let Bob and Elaine know you're coming – just give them a call when you want to go. I've even got a couple of ponies that Jack could ride if you want."

"Thanks. I might just take you up on that. So what's going on with you lately? Besides passing out at a crime scene, that is."

"What? Did somebody post video on Youtube or something? I mean, is there anybody who doesn't know what happened?"

"Well, I heard about it from the Director. Did you really throw up on one of the NCIS agents?"

"Great. The Director. And yes, I did puke on him. Destroyed his watch too – I still need to replace that. Of course it wasn't all bad – I went out with him last night."

"Wait a minute. You dated the guy after you vomited on him?"

"Can we please change the subject?"

"No we cannot! Personally, I don't think that I would _want _to date someone who threw up on me on the off chance that it wasn't a onetime thing."

"Very funny, Aaron. Look, Tony and I knew each other at Ohio State and we've kind of reconnected." Riley paused, smiling shyly. "I really like him. He wanted to see me tonight but I have church. He said he'd call later, though."

"You look happy, Riley. I'm glad for you."

"Thanks, Aaron. I am happy – I just hope I don't screw things up. My track record in the relationship arena stinks. And now we are definitely going to change the subject." Before she could continue, the waitress came and took their orders. When she left, Riley asked, "So what are your thoughts on the profile? I still feel like I'm missing something."

"I agree with your conclusions especially the change you made. If she is seeing these men over several different encounters to gain their trust, it would explain the time between murders. I also concur in your conclusion that she has an accomplice, although I believe he participates after the fact in the disposal of the body rather than in the actual murder."

"That's my assumption as well. There's no evidence of a second person committing the murder but there's no way a single individual could move the body."

"I wish we had more information but based on what you have, this is a viable profile."

Riley sighed with frustration. "I just hope it's enough." The waitress interrupted again with their food and conversation ceased as the two ate in companionable silence. When they finished their meal, Riley looked at her watch and gasped. "Uh oh, I'm gonna be late. Good thing I'm only a few blocks away." Riley insisted on paying the bill - "I invited you, Aaron – you aren't going to pay!" – and the two FBI agents left the restaurant, never noticing Tony and Ziva who had been watching them while they ate.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

'_Well I guess I know what her plans were now,'_ thought Tony. Aloud he said, "We should probably go. We have a lot of bars to hit tonight. Who knows, we might even get in a little bit of dancing."

"Perhaps," replied Ziva, "but with your luck Gibbs would probably interrupt our dance with a surprise inspection." Tony laughed but she noticed that that it did not reach his eyes. Maybe she and Tony were just friends, but Ziva took care of her friends. She did not like to see them hurt. She knew that Tony would never tell Riley that she had been seen tonight, but Ziva was not so forgiving.

TBC

A/N: I have struggled with this chapter forever! This is version 5 or 6 I think and I still am not really happy with it. I just want to get them out of the blasted restaurant (I wish I'd never gone there!) Please bear with me though – we got some action coming up next chapter. Remaining chapters are also going to be longer cause I'm having trouble finding a stopping point now.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Waiting for the Phone to Ring

Riley got back home at a little after 10:00. Coming inside, she hung up her coat and dropped her keys and purse on the hall table after locking the door for the night. She sighed, thinking that maybe she was getting too old to work with the youth – it was exhausting! They had so much energy that she just didn't have any more.

Going to the bedroom she took off her suit and placed it the side to take to the dry cleaners then slipped into a well-worn long sleeved t-shirt and sweatpants. Grabbing a soda from the fridge, she booted up her laptop to make the final modifications to the profile before emailing it to McGee (who would distributed it to the rest of NCIS) and Fornell. She wondered whether Ziva and Tony had had any hits on the sketch but figured she would ask Tony when he called. Finishing her emails, she washed her face and brushed her teeth then turned on the TV to watch _Forensic Files_.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Ziva looked worriedly at her partner as they pulled into the Navy Yard. After leaving the Greek restaurant, Tony had been fine, joking about going bar hopping with Ziva, and the canvass had gone well. Although they had no new hits on the sketch, they had left copies at the different bars along with their contact numbers if the suspect was sighted. They stressed the need for discretion – the woman could be given no indication of their interest or they might never be able to stop her.

At the last bar, however, things went all to hell. As Ziva was talking to the bartender, a very drunk blonde tried to get Tony to dance with her. His polite refusal apparently set her off and she tossed her half-finished drink in his face. Ziva was somewhat amused until the woman's equally drunk boyfriend came up to Tony and without warning punched him in the jaw, having been told by his girlfriend that Tony was hitting on _her._ Caught unaware, Tony went down, hitting his head on the bar. The boyfriend drew back his leg to kick Tony in the ribs but stopped at the sight of the Sig Sauer in his face. Before he knew what was happening, he was on the ground and handcuffed, having just assaulted a federal agent.

As usual, Tony had refused to go to the hospital, but now Ziva was regretting that she had not taken him anyway. The bruise on his jaw was darkening and he was having difficulty staying awake. At least Tony had allowed her the compromise of having Ducky meet them at NCIS. Parking the car, she went to the passenger side to help Tony and was alarmed at how unsteady he was. Guiding him to the elevator, they immediately went down to autopsy where they were met by Ducky and, to Tony's dismay, Gibbs.

"What the hell happened?" asked Gibbs, taking in Tony's bruised jaw and uneven gait. He rushed to help Ziva guide Tony to one of the autopsy tables, gently easing him back into a reclined position.

"It was not his fault," answered Ziva. "He was attacked without provocation. The LEOs arrested the man for assault but Tony refused medical attention. As usual."

While Ziva was explaining things to Gibbs, Ducky was gently examining Tony's jaw and head. He checked Tony's pupils and found them slow but equally reactive. Throughout the examination, Tony had been virtually silent except for a few groans when Ducky touched a particularly sensitive area.

"Can you move your jaw, Anthony?" asked Ducky, concerned at Tony's uncharacteristic reticence.

Gingerly, Tony opened and closed his mouth and moved his jaw from side to side, wincing at the pain. "I can move it, Ducky," Tony answered, "but it hurts like hell. And before you ask, yes, I have a headache but I'm not really nauseous. I really just want to go to sleep."

"Well it appears that you do not have a concussion nor is anything broken; however, you really need to put some ice on your jaw to try to keep the swelling at bay. You already have a spectacular bruise and it's going to get worse before it gets better. I will come by your apartment in the morning and see how you are doing. At that time I will advise you, Jethro, whether or not Tony will be coming into work. Now Tony, would you like something to help you sleep?"

"No, I'll just take some Tylenol when I get home." Groaning, he sat up on the table and slowly got to his feet.

"I will take him home," said Ziva.

"Are you sure you can get him inside?" asked Gibbs. "It might be best if I take him."

"We will be fine, but you can help me get him out to the car." Gibbs went to Tony's side and helped him to the elevator and then out to the car.

"Are you sure you can handle him, Ziva?" asked Gibbs. "He's pretty out of it."

"We will be fine," she said again.

Ziva began to doubt her decision to take Tony home on her own once they reached his apartment. He had fallen asleep and she was having difficulty rousing him to get him inside. She briefly thought of calling Gibbs but did not want to after assuring him that she could take care of Tony herself. Suddenly she had an idea, one that she really didn't like but might be her only choice. Taking Tony's cell phone, Ziva began scrolling through the contacts until she found the one she was looking for.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It was a little after midnight and Riley had fallen asleep on the couch (again). Noting the time, she wondered why Tony hadn't called. She was a little disappointed because he had been looking forward to talking to him. Maybe this was his way of letting her know that he wasn't really interested. So what else was new? With a sigh she turned off the TV and was heading for bed when her cell phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, she answered, "Hi, Tony. I didn't think you were going to call."

Riley was surprised when the caller turned out to be Ziva instead of Tony. "Riley, I need your help. Tony was slightly injured tonight and I am having a little trouble getting him out of the car and up to his apartment. I know you live close by and . . ."

"Injured? How? What happened?" Ziva could hear Riley's concern in her voice.

"I will explain when you get here. Hopefully the two of us can get him inside."

"I'll be there in just a minute. Just need to get some shoes and a jacket." Riley disconnected the call and hurriedly put on her running shoes and coat. She grabbed her backpack, knowing that her meds and inhalers were inside. Brad was going to kill her, but it would be faster to run the three blocks than to take the time to get the car out of the garage. Heading out the door, she took off at a run toward Tony's apartment.

A few minutes later, Ziva looked up to see Riley running toward her. "Should you be running in this weather?" Ziva asked.

"Probably not," answered Riley, taking a hit off of her inhaler, "but it was faster. I won't tell Brad if you don't. Now let's see if we can get Tony upstairs."

While neither of the women alone would have been able to get Tony out of the car and to his apartment, working together they were able to accomplish the task, although both of them were exhausted by the time they got him to his bed. Glancing at each other, they removed his shoes, jacket and dress shirt. They hesitated about his pants but agreed silently that he would be more comfortable without them and proceeded to strip him down to his boxers, Riley blushing furiously. They covered him with the comforter and Riley looked with concern at the dark bruising on his face.

"We need to ice that down for a few. Did he take any kind of painkillers?" Riley asked Ziva.

"No, he said he would take something when he got home," answered Ziva. "Do you think we can wake him enough to take some Tylenol?"

"I think we should let him sleep. If he wakes up, we can give him something then. I am going to get some ice, though. Or a bag of frozen peas That really works better."

"I'll go. You sit with him." A few minutes later, Ziva came back with the peas and a small hand towel. Riley wrapped the peas in the towel and gently placed it against Tony's bruised face. He flinched a little at the contact and then settled back into sleep.

The two women sat silently on the bed on either side of Tony. "He looks like a little kid when he's asleep," said Riley quietly, lightly running her fingers through his hair.

"I know," answered Ziva. "It's the only time he lets down his guard." They continued sitting in the surprisingly comfortable silence, watching over Tony as he slept. As the peas began to defrost, Riley again checked Tony's jaw before signaling to Ziva to leave the room. They left, leaving the door slightly ajar, and went into Tony's den.

Riley put the peas back in the freezer and joined Ziva on Tony's sofa. "I think there's room for both of us on this thing. Do you know if he has some extra pillows or blankets somewhere? I, uh, kind of figured you've been here before."

"I will get them." Ziva rose and got some pillows and blankets from the hall closet. Keeping one of each for herself, she handed the others to Riley. As they settled in on the couch, Ziva debated with herself for a moment before saying, "We saw you at the restaurant tonight."

TBC

A/N: I didn't really intend for the story to go in this direction but it kind of took on a life of its own. Honest, I didn't _mean_ to whump Tony. Not yet anyway!


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Explanations and Awakenings

"_We saw you at the restaurant tonight."_

Riley was confused. What did seeing her having dinner have to do with Tony being distracted? "You were at the Akropolis? I didn't see you."

"You seemed to be a little occupied with your dinner companion, yes," answered Ziva. "We were sitting in the back of the room."

"Occupied? With Aaron? Wait, did you think I was on a _date_? With Aaron Hotchner? God, no. He's my boss, well, technically anyway."

Ziva was not totally convinced. "The two of you seemed to be very cozy, especially when you first sat down."

Riley began to feel the first stirrings of irritation. "You don't understand anything, Ziva. Aaron has been through hell in the past year. Look, do you remember the Reaper case, about 9 months ago?" Seeing Ziva's nod Riley continued, "The woman that was killed was Aaron's wife Haley. Aaron's son Jack would have died too if the boy hadn't hidden. Aaron killed the guy but he's really had it rough since then. And Jack, he's such a sweet kid and he really misses his mom. So yeah, if we looked a little intense, we had reason. I asked Aaron to look over the profile and since he was in DC today we decided to have dinner. Does that explanation meet your approval, _Agent David._ I mean, come on, you and Tony were having dinner together and I'm not accusing you of anything."

Riley got up from the couch and started to pace back and forth, irritation blooming into full-fledged anger. When Ziva didn't respond, Riley continued, "And what if I was on a date? I mean, Tony and I have gone out once. It's not like I would cancel all of my plans for the rest of my life after one date! Not that that's an issue, mind you, but in principle. . ."

"Stop!" said ZIva. She knew that she needed to calm Riley down. "I understand. But Tony likes you and he was a little disappointed that you turned him down tonight to go out with someone else, especially a very nice looking someone else."

"But I didn't turn him down to go out with Aaron. We made our plans afterward. I had church tonight - that's why I didn't go out with . . . Wait - Tony likes me? He said that?" Riley was stunned. Earlier she had been thinking that Tony was not interested at all. Suddenly all the anger drained away. Sitting back down, she dropped her head and spoke quietly, "It doesn't really matter, though. It won't last. It never does."

Ziva was about to ask what Riley meant, when they heard a groan from the bedroom. Both women jumped up and moved quickly to Tony's side. Realizing that he was having a nightmare, Ziva warned Riley to be careful, knowing all too well that Tony could get violent.

Riley gently took one of Tony's hands while carding her fingers through his hair. Ziva took his other hand and spoke softly, trying to calm him down. As Tony began to relax, he awakened. He slowly opened his eyes and with difficulty focused on the two women in his bed. "If this is a dream," he said, wincing at the pain in his jaw, "I think I'm gonna need therapy."

"Shh, don't try to talk," Riley said with a grin. "I need for you to close your eyes again for a minute – I want to turn on the lamp so I can get a look at this bruising." Tony complied and Ziva switched on the lamp. Ducky had been right – the bruising was spectacular. It was a miracle that his jaw had not been broken, but broken or not, it was still going to be very painful. Riley carefully ran her fingers over his face, noticing that the entire left side was bruised and swollen. His left eye was puffy and Riley feared that it would swell shut if they didn't get another ice pack going. Motioning to Ziva to turn the lamp back off, Riley said, "Okay, Tony. We're going to get you some Tylenol and some ice. You just lay still and we'll be right back."

"I, uh, have to, um . . ." Tony was a little embarrassed at having to tell them he needed to go to the bathroom. "I gotta pee."

Both women giggled and Ziva said, "We will help you to the bathroom but after that you are on your own." Tony leaned heavily on the two women as they slowly led him to the bathroom. "Call us to help you back," Ziva warned. "Don't you dare try to come back by yourself."

Tony sighed and turned on the bathroom light, closing his eyes against the pain. Once he could handle the light, he looked in the mirror to survey the damage. '_Damn! What did that guy hit me with?_' The bruising was dark along the jaw line and spread upward along his cheek and cheekbone. His left eye would only open about halfway. '_Wouldn't you know? I've got two hot women in my bed and I don't even care. I just want to go back to sleep.' _With a small groan, Tony took care of business and washed his hands. Calling out "I'm ready", he allowed his two 'nurses' to help him back to bed.

While he was in the bathroom, Riley had prepared another ice pack and Ziva had rounded up some Tylenol. Without argument, he took the pills with the proffered glass of water and lay down, allowing Riley to place the ice pack on his face. He briefly wondered why both Ziva and Riley were in his apartment but decided that he would rather sleep than ask. Besides, it hurt too much to talk. He drifted back to sleep with the feel of soft hands moving through his hair and rubbing small circles on his back.

Forty-five minutes and another soggy ice pack later, Riley and Ziva moved back to the den. It was after 3:00 am and both women were tired. "I think I'm ready to put those blankets to use," said Riley with a yawn.

Ziva picked up one of the blankets and a pillow and tossed them to Riley. They both settled on the sofa hoping to get at least a couple of hours of sleep. "What did you mean earlier when you said that it would not last?" asked Ziva, breaking the silence.

Ziva didn't think Riley was going to answer until she heard the soft reply, "I'm not capable of maintaining a relationship. I don't know how. I want this so bad but I don't want to hurt him." Ziva could hear the tears in Riley's voice.

Ziva didn't know what had happened in Riley's past to make her feel the way she did. And Ziva was not good at this kind of 'girl talk'. Still, she had to let Riley know that she had nothing to fear. "Tony is a good man, Riley. You can trust him. Do not doom your relationship before it even starts. Give him a chance. Now, I am tired and I am sure that you are too. Let's try to get some sleep."

Exhaustion finally won out and both women drifted into dreamless sleep.

TBC

A/N: I've been out of town for a few days, a trip that included about 10 hours riding in the car. Fortunately I had my trusty laptop with me and I wrote over 7000 words. I was going to break it into 3 chapters but now it looks like 4. The next three will post over the next three days.

Thanks again for all of the reviews, alerts, and favorites. You guys are the best! By the way, we're past the halfway mark in this story but there will be at least two, maybe three sequels if there's enough interest.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: So the Next Morning . . .

Two hours later Riley awakened, not quite sure where she was. Getting up, she stretched and went to check on Tony. He was still sleeping soundly, although the swelling in his face still looked pretty bad. She decided to run home and clean up so Ziva could do the same. Writing a note to Ziva, Riley slipped quietly out of the apartment leaving the door unlocked. She figured Ziva could handle anybody who tried to break in.

A little over half an hour later, Riley was back, dressed in jeans and a sweater. She was going to call in to work later and let them know she wouldn't be in. When she reached Tony's apartment, she quietly opened the door and slipped inside.

"You could have knocked," Ziva said, smiling as Riley jumped.

"Crap, Ziva," Riley answered. "Don't scare me like that. I wasn't sure if you would be awake yet so I left the door unlocked. I figured you would hear if anyone tried to sneak in. Is he still sleeping?"

"Yes, at least he was a few minutes ago. I have a change of clothes in my car so I do not need to go home." She looked at what Riley was wearing. "You are not going to work?"

"I'm going to stay here with him – if he wants me to. Of course, he'll probably say he's fine and want to go to work. Men are such . . .men!"

Ziva laughed. "Ducky will be here in a little while. Perhaps between the three of us, we can convince Tony to stay home, yes." Ziva ran down to her car and got her bag then went to the bathroom to clean up.

Riley went into the kitchen and made coffee glad to see that Tony had flavored creamers. She checked the refrigerator, pleased to see that he at least had bacon, eggs and cheese. She could make breakfast later – if Tony felt like eating. She checked the freezer and saw the chocolate ice cream. If he didn't want to eat, maybe he would feel like drinking a milkshake. She poured a cup of coffee and added sugar and creamer, sighing as she took a long sip. Hearing a knock, she opened the door to Ducky.

Ducky was surprised to see Riley in Tony's apartment. "Good morning, Ducky," Riley smiled. "Would you like some coffee? Or maybe some tea? It will only take a minute. Tony's still sleeping and Ziva's in the shower."

"No, thank you, dear," Ducky answered, wondering why Riley and Ziva were in both Tony's apartment. "I did not expect to see you here. Had I known that Anthony was already under a doctor's care I could have saved myself the trip."

"Ziva called me last night. She needed help getting him inside. And I have a feeling it's going to take all of us to convince Tony to stay home. He's in a lot of pain and he looks pretty bad. The whole left side of his face is bruised and swollen. His eye was about half-way closed last night. We iced it down but from what I could tell earlier, it's going to be swollen shut this morning. Are you sure his jaw's not broken?"

"I probably should have done x-rays last night. I didn't think it was broken but with this much swelling I'm beginning to doubt my first reaction."

"Let's see how he's feeling when he wakes up. I know he'll fight us, but we may need to take him in for x-rays."

Almost on cue, they heard sounds of stirring from Tony's bedroom. Riley and Ducky went into the room, Riley moving to help Tony into a seated position. As she had feared, Tony's left eye would not open at all. She sat quietly by his side, allowing Ducky to examine Tony.

"How is the pain, Anthony?" questioned Ducky as he gently felt along Tony's jaw line. "Can you move your jaw this morning?"

Tony gingerly opened and closed his mouth as he did the night before. When he tried to move his jaw from side to side, he gasped and tears of pain sprang to his eyes. "Hurts, Ducky," he said. "More than it did last night." Riley gently massaged Tony's back, trying to relax his taut muscles. He was obviously in a great deal of pain.

Ducky knew that the pain must be bad indeed for Tony to admit that he was hurting. "I think we need to go in for an x-ray, Anthony. I may have missed something last night."

"Can I take a shower? I feel really grungy."

"I suppose. But let me check your head first." Riley looked at Ducky with a questioning look. "He hit his head last night after he was punched," Ducky replied in response to her look. "But it seems to be fine. Hardly a bump. It's the jaw I'm worried about. Now, Tony, do you think you can manage in the shower?"

"I think so. Let me stand up and I'll let you know." Tony stood, and though he was a little shaky, he was still steadier than the night before. "I'm okay. I just need to get some clothes together."

"We'll take care of that," said Riley as Ziva came in to the bedroom. Her eyes widened as she looked at Tony's face but she did not comment. "Ducky, can you help him into the bathroom? Ziva and I will get his clothes and lay them out on the bed."

As Ducky led Tony to the bathroom, Ziva went to the dresser and pulled out socks, boxers and a t-shirt. She then went to Tony's closet and pulled out his favorite jeans and an Ohio State hoodie. "You seem to know your way around pretty well," commented Riley. "It's pretty obvious that you've been here before."

"Yes, I have stayed with Tony several times and he has stayed with me," Ziva answered. "But we have never crossed the line."

"I know. Although you've both wanted to. I'm not blind, Ziva."

"You are right. Tony and I have both thought about going beyond friendship. We talked about it last night at dinner. But our friendship is precious. I could not bear losing him. And if we pursued our relationship and it did not work out, I would lose him, maybe forever. And besides, he likes you, remember?"

"I still can't believe it. I'm just so afraid. . ."

"Stop it! Tony cares for you and you obviously care for him. Just let nature take its course, yes? Everything will be fine. Now unless you are ready to see Tony naked, we better get out because the shower just turned off."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"You don't have to stay in here while I shower, Ducky," said Tony as he stood under the soothing water.

"If you don't mind, I think I will. The last thing you need is to take a fall. And it's not like I haven't seen you unclothed before, Anthony," Ducky replied. "And as hard as I know this will be for you – stop talking. At least until we know the damage."

Sighing, Tony stood in the shower. Ducky was right. It hurt to talk – hell, it hurt to breathe. His jaw had been broken before, when he was a child, and he tried to remember what it felt like. He seemed to remember not being able to speak at all, so maybe this time he was okay. He finished washing up and turned off the water. Ducky helped him out of the shower then moved out of the room to give Tony some privacy. Drying off, Tony looked in the mirror, shocked at how much worse he looked than he had before. His eye was completely closed and his face felt tight. He looked and felt like crap. He finished drying off and tried to brush his teeth without causing more pain. He then went into the bedroom to get dressed, glad that both Ziva and Riley were in the other room.

After dressing, Tony walked slowly into the den and sat on the couch. He felt off-balance, partially because of only being able to see out of one eye but also due to the pain. Riley handed him two Tylenol and a glass of water which he took gratefully. She had also prepared another ice pack which she placed tenderly on his battered face. She held it there while he leaned his head against the cushions.

Ducky stood with Ziva in the kitchen, both of them watching Riley and Tony on the sofa. "She is the last person that I would have expected you to call," said Ducky.

"I know, Ducky," said Ziva, "but calling her made the most sense as she lives close by. And she cares for him. When I called her last night she literally ran her from her apartment. I could tell that she was frightened but her only concern was for Tony. At the same time, she did not resent my presence. We worked together to take care of him."

"I'm going to call Jethro and let him know what's going on. We'll take Anthony to Bethesda for the x-rays. He won't like it but if his jaw _is_ broken, I won't be able to treat it in autopsy."

"I am going to go in to work. Riley will go with you to Bethesda. Call me when you know something." Ziva went into the den and leaned over, giving Tony a gentle kiss on his undamaged cheek. "I am leaving you in capable hands, my little hairy butt. I will see you later." She smiled at Riley's raised eyebrow over Ziva's nickname for Tony. "Thank you Riley. Take good care of him." Smiling again, Ziva left the apartment.

"Jethro will be joining us at Bethesda," announced Ducky, eliciting a groan from Tony. "Come now Anthony. You really didn't expect him to stay away, did you? Now let's get your coat and get you out to the car."

"Let me get a fresh ice pack," said Riley. "The swelling has gone down a little but I want him to keep ice on it on the way to the hospital." Ducky looked at Tony's face. The swelling had indeed abated and he was able to open his eye a little.

"You still look dreadful, my boy. Riley, why don't you drive Tony in your car and I'll follow? That way you can bring him home afterwards and I can continue on to NCIS."

"Works for me. Now let's get our boy to the hospital." Smiling, Riley slipped her arm around Tony's waist and they walked out to the car.

TBC


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Not mine

A/N: A word of advice – never, never, never let your husband (or significant other) touch your laptop. I'm not going into details but suffice it to say he owes me shoes, many pairs of shoes. And maybe a new purse.

Chapter 19: A Trip to the Hospital

When Ducky called Gibbs to let him know that Tony was on the way to the hospital, Gibbs was worried. Sure, Tony had been bruised the night before but he seemed to be okay, if a little out of it. '_Damn it!' _thought Gibbs. '_I should have made him go to the ER last night.'_ Now Gibbs was in the ER, waiting for Ducky and Tony to arrive.

A few minutes later, Tony walked in holding an ice pack to his face, Riley beside him with Ducky following just behind. Gibbs met them at the admitting desk, knowing that he would be the one to complete the paperwork as Tony's next of kin. "Let me see," said Gibbs to Tony, wanting to see the damage for himself. Tony moved the ice pack and Gibbs winced at the black eye and swollen jaw.

"I'm fine, Boss," said Tony. "It's not the first time I've been punched out and it probably won't be the last."

"You're not fine, DiNozzo. People who are fine don't come the ER." Turning to Riley, he asked, "How did you end up at this party, Agent Kendall?"

"Yeah, I was kind of wondering that, too, when I woke up with you and Ziva in my bed," added Tony.

Blushing at Gibbs' raised eyebrow, Riley directed her answer to Tony, "Ziva called me when she couldn't get you out of the car since she knew I lived nearby. We got you inside and both of us decided to stay. You have a really nice couch by the way. And as for having both of us in your bed, I don't see that happening again in the foreseeable future, so I hope you enjoyed it. Now, let's get you back to a treatment room."

Ducky stayed with Gibbs to complete the paperwork while Riley and Tony went to the treatment room. They were soon joined by a doctor who introduced himself as Dr. Brian Jefferson. "So, Mr. DiNozzo, let's take a look. First, how's your pain level?"

"It's Tony, and on a scale of one to ten, about a five, maybe."

"Okay, Tony. Can you open your mouth for me please?" Tony complied with a grimace as Dr. Jefferson looked at the inside of Tony's mouth. "Now, can you move your jaw side to side?" Again, Tony did as he was asked. "Where's your pain level now?"

"Six or seven." Tony had paled a little. "That really hurt."

"I'm sorry. Just a little more then I'm going to get some x-rays." The doctor gently probed the bruising on Tony's jaw and under his eye. "All right, I'll be right back. I'm going to get someone to take you to x-ray. After I see the films, we'll talk." A few minutes later, he returned with a nurse who took Tony to radiology.

As Tony was leaving, Gibbs and Ducky entered the treatment room and introduced themselves. Since Dr. Jefferson had no other patients to check on, he stayed and talked to Riley, Ducky and Gibbs. "I'm cautiously optimistic about Tony's injuries. The bruising looks bad but there doesn't appear to be any displacement," commented Dr. Jefferson. "Any idea what he was hit with? Because I don't believe a fist could have done that much damage."

"I agree," replied Ducky. "The way the bruising is resolving, it appears he was struck by something long and cylindrical, like a pipe."

"I'll call Ziva and have her contact Metro – see if they found anything at the scene," said Gibbs, stepping into the hallway to make the call.

A few minutes later, the nurse returned with Tony and gave the x-rays to Dr. Jefferson. He put them up into a light box and began to review them, joined by Riley and Ducky. While the three doctors checked the films, Gibbs talked to Tony.

"You look like crap, DiNozzo," said Gibbs.

"Gee, thanks, Boss," quipped Tony. "Kinda feel that way, too. Head's killing me."

Gibbs frowned. Tony rarely admitted to being in pain. "What happened last night? Ziva gave me her side, but I need to hear yours, too."

"I don't know. I turned down the crazy blond chick, she threw her drink on me and the next thing I know I'm on the floor. I never saw it coming. At first I thought he punched me but now I'm thinking he hit me with something besides his fist."

"We were discussing that while you were in x-ray and I agree," said Riley, still looking at the x-rays. "A fist didn't do this. Look here - is that a break? And here?"

Ducky peered closely at where Riley was pointing. "This one appears to be an old healed fracture. Apparently a bad one. This one, on the other hand, looks new. I can't really tell about this other one, though. But I agree – this was definitely not the work of a fist. What is your impression, Dr. Jefferson?"

"What? Oh, shit. It's broken, isn't it?" moaned Tony. "This sucks."

"Calm down, Tony. In answer to your question, yes and no. You do have a hairline fracture of the cheekbone – that's why your eye swelled shut and why you're developing such a lovely shiner." Dr. Jefferson paused and grinned as Riley walked over to kiss Tony on his injured cheek. "There also appears to be a very small fracture of the jawbone. Luckily, neither of the fractures is displaced so you won't require surgery. I did notice that you have an old break there. When did that happen?"

"When I was nine," answered Tony. "They wired my jaw shut for eight weeks. Am I going to have to experience that again?" He didn't know if he could deal with that again.

"No, not this time. Both fractures will just have to heal on their own, but you need to be careful for the next few weeks. Another hit could cause displacement which would mean surgery. You'll also need to stick to liquids and soft foods simply because it's going to hurt too much to chew anything for awhile. I'm going to give you something for pain – take it as needed, especially at night. And continue with the ice to keep the swelling down."

"When can I go back to work?" Gibbs, Ducky and Riley all rolled their eyes.

Knowing that Tony was a federal agent, Dr. Jefferson answered, "This is Thursday. You should be able to go back Monday but desk duty only for two weeks. And if the pain gets worse or you have difficulty swallowing or breathing, come to the ER immediately."

"He can stay with me," said Gibbs. "He usually does when he's hurt."

"Actually, Jethro, I believe Riley was going to take Anthony home. She has arranged to take the next two days off from work to stay with him," said Ducky with a smile. "Of course, I suppose Anthony should be the one to decide."

"No offense, Boss, but. . .I think I'll go home," Tony said, his grin lopsided due to the pain from his injury.

"None taken, DiNozzo," Gibbs replied. "Can't say that I blame you."

Dr. Jefferson gave them Tony's prescription and Riley and Tony left, Riley's arm around Tony's waist, his arm across her shoulders. Gibbs and Ducky watched them leave, both men smiling. "He didn't even argue about taking time off or being on desk duty," said Gibbs in amazement. "I just hope she knows what she's getting into."

"Actually, Jethro," said Ducky, "I think our boy may have finally met his match."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Riley drove back to Tony's apartment, stopping once to pick up his pain medication and a second time to get him a strawberry smoothie. He didn't really want to drink it but he needed to have something on his stomach before he could take his meds – which he really didn't want to take either. However, he had the feeling that Riley would be just as adamant about him taking the pills as Ducky and Gibbs, maybe more so.

By the time they reached the apartment, he had managed to drink about half of the smoothie. "I can't finish this," he told Riley. "Any more and I'll puke and I don't even want to think about how much that would hurt right now."

"Don't worry about it. Let's get inside and you can take a pain pill," Riley said. They went inside and Tony sat on the sofa. "You know, we could stay at my place instead."

"Why? What's wrong with my apartment?"

"Nothing. It's just that my house is bigger and I have a feeling that your whole team is going to want to come by at one time or another. Plus I have extra bedrooms and a bigger TV."

"Are you sure? You were kind of upset after our accidental sleepover Monday night."

"I'm sure. I overreacted before. I'm not going to worry about what other people think. Now let's get what you need for a couple of days away."

"Okay, let me grab a few things and we'll go. I'll wait 'til we get there to take my pills. I should warn you, though. Pain medication makes me kind of goofy."

"More than usual? That should be interesting." Laughing, they gathered Tony's things and got back in the car to make the short drive to Riley's townhouse. Once there, she got Tony settled on the sofa and she took his things into the downstairs bedroom. It had its own bathroom, so Tony could have more privacy. She quickly sent a text to Ziva letting her know where they were going and then got Tony a glass of water and his pain pills. After he took them, Riley turned on the TV and soon Tony was sleeping soundly. She covered him with a blanket then curled up on the other end of the sofa and joined Tony in sleep.

TBC


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: Not mine

Chapter 20: Weekend at Riley's

McGee walked into the bullpen at 7:30 am and saw Ziva at her desk but noticed that neither Gibbs nor Tony had arrived yet. While that was not unusual for Tony, it was not a normal occurrence for Gibbs and he asked Ziva, "Where's Gibbs? With the director?"

"No," answered Ziva. "He is at the hospital with Tony. I am waiting for him to call me."

"The hospital! What happened? He was fine last night when you two left! You didn't hurt him, did you Ziva?"

"No! I did not hurt Tony! Why would I do that? I will tell you what happened but you should call Abby first. She will want to know and I do not want to explain things twice."

McGee called Abby and asked her to come up to the bullpen. "What's up guys? Where are Tony and Gibbs?" Abby asked. "If Tony's late again, Bossman is gonna headslap him into next week."

"Uh, Abby, don't get upset," Tim began but Abby interrupted.

"What's wrong? It's Tony again, isn't it? Is he okay? What happened McGee?"

"Abby! Calm down. Ziva said that Gibbs is at the hospital with Tony. I don't know why yet – Ziva wanted to tell us both at the same time." He and Abby turned to Ziva and she proceeded to explain what had happened the night before and earlier that morning. "Ducky and Riley took Tony to the hospital for x-rays and Gibbs was going to meet them there. As I told McGee, I am waiting for them to call."

As if on cue Ziva's cell phone rang. Seeing that it was Gibbs, she took the call, hoping for news about Tony. When she hung up, she turned to Abby and McGee. "Tony has been taken into x-ray but the doctor believes that he will be fine. Gibbs wants me to follow up on the attack since it appears that Tony was struck with some kind of weapon rather than a fist. He did say that Tony would most likely be released soon so there is no need for us to go to the hospital." Warning them to contact her as soon as they heard any news, Abby reluctantly went down to her lab.

Knowing that Gibbs would want an answer as soon as he came in, Ziva sat down at her desk and contacted Metro. McGee turned on his computer and checked his email, finding the revised report from Riley. He forwarded the document to everyone on the team and printed out a copy for Gibbs. They continued to work until Gibbs came into the bullpen around 9:30 am.

"Is Tony okay, boss?" asked McGee. "Ziva told us what happened."

"He's gonna be fine," answered Gibbs. "He has hairline fractures of his cheekbone and his jaw but they should heal on their own. He should be back in the office on Monday, desk duty for a couple of weeks. He looks like hell though."

"I'm going to go tell Abby. She's been calling every 15 minutes to see if we heard anything." Tim left the bullpen for Abby's lab and Gibbs turned to Ziva, "Anything on Tony's attacker?"

"I just heard from Metro," answered Ziva. "The man's name is Gary LaTour. He apparently hit Tony with a partially disassembled pool cue. The bartender found it tossed into a corner as he was cleaning up last night and contacted the police. The FBI has taken over the investigation and will probably want to talk to Tony."

"I'm sure he'll be thrilled about that."

Ziva's phone chimed, indicating a text message. She read it then told Gibbs, "Tony and Riley are staying at her house instead of his apartment. Apparently her TV is bigger. She says that Tony took his pain meds and is sleeping. She will call later."

"Ducky said that Tony may have met his match. If she got Tony to take his pain meds, then Ducky may be right."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Tony woke up disoriented. He blinked – well, one eye did, the other was swollen shut again – and tried to clear his head. '_Oh, yeah – I'm at Riley's.'_ He sat up slowly and the movement awakened Riley. "Hey," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Tony answered truthfully. "My head still hurts a little. And my eye won't open. But other than that I'm just sore."

"I'll get an ice pack." Riley got up and went into the kitchen. Checking the time, she realized that they had slept for over three hours and she was hungry. She hadn't had breakfast and she had also forgotten to take her morning meds. First things first, though, she got the ice pack and took it to Tony. "Watch your eyes," she warned as she turned on a lamp. "I just want to take a look."

Tony closed his eyes and leaned his head back. Riley gently turned his head to the side and examined the swelling and bruising. Unable to resist, she softly brushed her lips against his cheek, as she had done at the hospital. She then kissed his swollen jaw before tenderly placing the ice against his face. "My grandmother was a huge fan of 'kissing and making it better,'" Riley said with a grin.

"Not Mom?" asked Tony.

Riley's grin slipped. "No, Mother was not exactly the nurturing type. And Father didn't have a clue."

"Trust me, I can relate." Before either of them could elaborate, Tony's phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, Tony answered, "Hi, Abs!"

Riley could hear Abby's excited voice through the speaker. "I don't know, Abs. Why don't you talk to Riley?" Speaking to Riley as he passed her the phone, Tony said, "Abby wants to come over for lunch – wants to know if she can pick something up."

"Hi, Abby!" said Riley. "Sure you can come over. I was going to make a milkshake for Tony and a salad for me. I can make enough for you too if you want." She listened as Abby agreed then gave her the address of the townhouse. "I'll see you in a little while. Do you want to talk to Tony again? . . . Okay, I'll tell him. Bye." Disconnecting the call she told Tony, "Abby says she'll see you in a few and that she loves you. Oh, and to give you this." Riley leaned over and gave Tony a hug and a kiss. "The hug's from Abby but the kiss is from me. Now please use the ice pack so we can get the swelling down. Do you want anything for pain?"

Tony obediently put the ice against his face and answered, "Can I just have some Tylenol? The other stuff kinda knocks me on my butt. I'll take it tonight, but I'd rather stay conscious the rest of the day."

"No problem. But promise me you'll let me know if the pain gets too bad." She went to the kitchen and got two Tylenol and a glass of water. Before going back into the den, she took her own medication and used her inhaler. Seeing the inhaler, Tony was concerned, "Are you okay? Are you having trouble breathing?"

"I'm fine, Tony." Riley handed him the Tylenol and water and he swallowed the pills. "With all of the excitement this morning, I forgot my meds. This is just my daily maintenance stuff. So, Abby should be here soon and I need to make lunch. What kind of milkshake do you want?"

"Chocolate?"

"You got it!" Riley laughed and went into the kitchen to prepare lunch while Tony watched TV. It wasn't long before the doorbell rang. Riley started toward the door, but Tony stayed her with a gesture. "It's probably Abby." He answered the door and Abby rushed into the room like a red and black tornado. Grabbing Tony, she wrapped him in one of her breath-stealing hugs. "Tony, Tony, Tony!" she cried. She pulled back and looked at his bruises. "Oh, Tony – your poor face! Are you okay? Do you need to sit down? You have to take better care of yourself!" Riley laughed from the kitchen as Abby dragged Tony to the sofa and made him sit down. "Make yourself at home, Abby!" she called. "Lunch is almost ready. What would you like to drink? I have water, ice tea and soda."

"Soda's good as long as it's caffeinated," Abby replied.

Riley brought Abby her salad and soda and gave Tony his milkshake before going back into the kitchen for her own salad. There was a slight bit of awkwardness as she bowed her head to say grace, since Abby and Tony had already started eating (well, actually Tony was drinking) but the moment passed quickly. They enjoyed their lunch, Abby and Riley doing most of the talking, until it was time for Abby to go back to work.

"I'm making potato soup for dinner," Riley said. "Do you want to come over? The others are welcome to come, too. Maybe around 7:00?"

"I'd love to come," Abby replied. "I'll ask everyone else and let you know how many to expect. Do we need to bring anything?"

"I don't think so. I guess you could bring something to drink or dessert if you want."

"Okay. I'll talk to you later and see you at 7:00. Bye Tony – feel better!" Abby gave Tony a hug and kiss then headed back to work.

"I didn't even ask you if you liked potato soup," said Riley. "I can make something else instead."

"Potato soup's good," said Tony with a smile. "By the way, just for the record, your TV is not bigger than mine." He gestured to the flat screen on the wall. "It's exactly the same size."

Riley answered him with her own grin. "Not that one. Come down to the basement."

"You don't have a boat in there do you?"

Riley looked at him curiously over the comment but said nothing as she turned on the light and they walked down the stairs. "What do you think?"

"I think I just died and went to heaven!"

TBC

A/N: I know – weird place to stop but there are some other events that will be addressed next chapter that just don't fit here – getting back to the case hot and heavy over the next few chapters. Thanks for all the reviews and for your patience.


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

A/N: Sorry for the delay but real life totally sucks right now. I've had some health issues that are still not resolved (and may be permanent). I currently have only limited use of my left hand – my thumb and index finger still work a little bit – so typing is a bit of a chore. I'll try to update as often as possible but bear with me if I'm a kinda slow. Thanks for your support!

Chapter 21: Weekend at Riley's: Part II

The doorbell rang at 6:45 and Riley opened the door to Abby and McGee. "Come on in," said Riley. She noticed that they were carrying a couple of six packs of beer and a cake. "Just put the cake on the table and the beer in the fridge."

"I wasn't sure about the beer," Abby said. "I know you don't drink and. . ."

"It's okay. Just because I don't drink doesn't mean you can't. I will take your keys, though, if you drink too much."

"Don't worry. It's a school night and Gibbs will kill us if we get drunk. Everyone else should be here in a few minutes. Where's Tony?"

Riley sighed. "I think I made a huge mistake. He's in the basement and I'm not sure if I'll ever get him to come upstairs again. I probably should have known better." At Abby's look of panic she grinned. "Entertainment system. 82 inch plasma. He hasn't moved for three hours." Abby and McGee both burst out laughing and Riley continued, "Go on downstairs and see if you can pry the remote out of his hand. We'll eat as soon as the others come."

Abby and Tim went downstairs and Tim froze. Not only did Riley have the entertainment system with the huge TV and surround sound, she also had a separate TV for gaming, two pinball machines and a couple of classic video games – Galaga and PacMan. Tony was seated comfortably in the center of a large leather sofa happily watching _Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom_. Abby threw herself down on the couch beside him and gave him a hug before leaning back and critically examining his bruises. "The swelling's gone down a lot. But you still look like crap."

"Gee, thanks Abby. It's a good thing that you love me. I can't imagine what you would have said if you hated me," Tony laughed. "Hey, McGoo, come join us!" Tim walked over and sat down on the other side of Tony, eyes growing wide at the sight of Tony's bruised and battered face.

"Wow, Tony," Tim said. "I hope that doesn't hurt at bad as it looks."

"I'm fine, Probie. And if you think it looks bad now, you should have seen it this morning before the swelling went down. I couldn't even open my eye."

"Still, shouldn't you have some ice on it or something?"

"Hey, I've had my own personal doctor all day long. She's been taking really good care of me. Which is good, 'cause I'm never leaving her basement. I mean, come on. Why would anybody want to leave?" Laughing again, Abby settled down beside Tony and Tim wandered over to play with the PS3 while they waited for the rest of the team.

The doorbell rang again to announce Ziva and Gibbs followed almost immediately by Ducky and Palmer. Riley sent them downstairs but Ziva insisted on staying upstairs to help Riley with dinner. "There's really not much to do," said Riley. "We just need to send everything down. If you want to help, you can get the stuff off the dumbwaiter and then send it back up. I don't think everything will fit at one time."

"Dumbwaiter?" asked Ziva, confusion written on her face. "What is a dumbwaiter?"

Riley laughed. "It's kind of like a little elevator that you can use to transport stuff between floors. It's a lot easier than carrying everything. There's a small kitchen downstairs. You'll see the dumbwaiter on the far wall – just unload the food and send it back up for round two."

Ziva went downstairs and Riley loaded the dumbwaiter with the first load of food and drink. It actually took three loads and by the time Riley joined everyone else downstairs, the smell of potato soup and freshly baked bread had everyone's mouths watering. She quickly set out bowls, plates and silverware and she and Ziva put the food and drinks on the bar. Before having everyone serve themselves, Riley asked Ducky if he would return thanks and he graciously complied. "Okay, eat!" said Riley. "If you don't like it, we can always order in."

"Is this homemade bread?" asked Tim. "It smells great."

"Yeah," answered Riley, "but it's not really a big deal. It's not exactly rocket science when you have a bread machine and a couple of boxes of bread mix."

Riley made Tony sit back down and she brought him some soup and a soda before serving herself. The others got their food and settled in. Conversation was light and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Riley made sure that everyone had plenty to eat and drink and once everyone was finished, Abby and Ziva helped Riley clean up. Jimmy and Tim were playing a game on the PS3, Tony and Ducky were watching the Discovery channel and Gibbs was playing pinball.

As the evening wore on, Riley noticed the faint lines of pain around Tony's eyes and she knew it was time for the party to end. She brought him his meds and she realized how bad he was hurting when he didn't even argue about taking them. She caught Ziva's eye and nodded her head toward Tony. Understanding, Ziva said, "I think it is time to go home. We have to be in early for the task force meeting, yes?" The others caught on and began to get up, thanking Riley for her hospitality. "No, thank you guys for coming," said Riley. "I don't get to entertain much and this was really nice. Oh, and did you say there was a task force meeting in the morning?"

"Don't worry about it," said Gibbs. "We'll call if we need you. Unless you have something new to add."

"Nope. I already gave you the updated profile so I'm good."

Everyone left, except Gibbs. He seemed to be hesitating, wanting to say something but not sure how. Standing at the door, he finally said, "He has nightmares sometimes."

"There's another room next to the one he's using," said Riley. "You're welcome to stay. I'm going to need help getting him upstairs anyway. Do you think he'll fit in the dumbwaiter?"

Gibbs laughed. "Let me get my bag out of the car."

When Gibbs came back in, he and Riley went downstairs to drag Tony away from the TV. They laughed quietly when they saw him sleeping with the remote firmly clutched in his right hand. "Hey, sleeping beauty. Let's get upstairs to bed," said Riley. When Tony grinned, she added, "That didn't come out right."

"I'm good," Tony said. "I think I can make it on my own." He stood, swaying a little and Gibbs grabbed his arm to steady him.

"Easy, Tony," Gibbs said. "I'm sure you're fine, but I think I'll walk with you just in case." Still holding Tony's arm, Gibbs steered him up the stairs and into the bedroom. "I'll let Gibbs take it from here," Riley whispered, leaning down to kiss Tony goodnight. "I'll see you in the morning." She left, leaving Gibbs to help Tony get settled.

Gibbs left the bedroom, joining Riley in the kitchen. "Coffee?" Riley asked. Gibbs nodded, and then watched as she made a single cup with a strange looking coffee maker. They waited in companionable silence until the brew finished and she handed him the mug.

"I'm going upstairs. Make yourself at home. There are towels on the shelf in the bathroom if you want to take a shower." To Gibbs' surprise, Riley rose on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. "Goodnight, Gibbs. See you in the morning."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Gibbs awakened some time later to the unfortunately familiar sound emanating from the next room. Getting up, he quickly moved into Tony's room to find the younger man in the throes of a nightmare. "DiNozzo, wake up," Gibbs called softly, wary of moving too close. He was well aware of the consequences of trying to wake Tony at times like this. "You with me, Tony?" He moved closer, avoiding the flailing arms, continuing to speak to Tony in a soft, calming voice.

"What can I do?" Riley asked from the doorway.

"Just talk to him, but be careful."

Riley slipped into the room and slowly climbed onto the bed. Deftly dodging Tony's arm, she slid up against him and began rubbing slow circles on his back, whispering quiet words of comfort into his ear. Soon Tony began to calm, his breathing becoming slow and even. He turned over, trapping Riley against his body, capturing her in his embrace. Gibbs smiled at her look of surprise and said, "Looks like you're sleeping here." He saw her look of distress and continued, "He needs you, Riley. There's nothing wrong with you being here with him. Now go to sleep." Riley relaxed into Tony's arms and Gibbs covered the two of them before going back to his own bed. Riley decided that she would stay until she was sure that Tony was asleep before going back upstairs – she would just close her eyes and rest for a few minutes much like Tony had done a few nights before.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Several hours later Riley opened her eyes. _'So much for resting a few minutes,' _she thought. Tony was still sleeping soundly, so Riley carefully extricated herself from his embrace, wanting him to sleep as long as possible. Listening, she heard Gibbs moving around in the other room so she went to the kitchen and set up the coffee maker. Leaving a note that said 'push the red button', she went upstairs. She went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth then changed clothes for her morning workout.

Gibbs got up and wandered into the kitchen, wondering if he could figure out Riley's coffeemaker. He snorted at the note and followed the directions, gratefully sipping the drink as soon as it finished brewing. He wandered upstairs and heard Riley running on the treadmill, following the sound until he stood in the doorway watching her run. She saw him and raised one finger to let him know she was almost finished and he took the time to observe her.

The first thing he noticed was that Riley was exceptionally well built, a fact that she tried to hide with her classic tailored suits. The next thing he saw was her scars – a surgical scar on her right knee, a bullet wound on her left shoulder and what looked like a burn scar on her right side that appeared to curve around to her back. Seeing his gaze, Riley finished her run and replied to his unspoken question, "Skiing accident when I was fourteen, suspect apprehension gone bad in LA and bomb in Afghanistan."

"The bomb – is that what caused your breathing problems?"

"Yeah. Between the heat and the chemicals, my lungs were screwed up pretty bad. They weren't sure if I'd ever recover but so far I've beat the odds. I see you found the coffee maker."

Gibbs didn't comment on the abrupt change of subject. "Yeah, thanks. I can't function without my morning caffeine."

"I know the feeling. Listen, I'm gonna take a shower and then I'll fix some breakfast. Do you have time before you go in to NCIS?"

"Sure, but you don't have to do that. I can pick up something on the way in."

"It's not a problem. I have to make something for me anyway and I'd rather eat before Tony wakes up. I feel bad eating in front of him."

"Okay, I'm gonna check on Tony and I'll see you downstairs in a few."

Gibbs went quietly into Tony's room and found him still sleeping soundly. He backed out of the room and gently closed the door then went into his own room to make the bed and gather his things. He then went into the den and turned on the TV to watch the news. A little while later Riley came down dressed casually in jeans and a long sleeved shirt. "He still sleeping?" she asked as she went into the kitchen.

"He was a few minutes ago. The swelling's gone down a lot but the bruising looks even worse. He's gonna be hurting today, probably more than yesterday."

"That wouldn't surprise me. I'll try to keep him medicated as much as possible but I know he doesn't like it."

"No, he doesn't handle pain meds well. He doesn't like losing control. He might get a little irritable – don't take it personally."

"Thanks for the warning." She stirred some eggs in a bowl after putting bacon in the microwave. "What do you want in your omelet? I've got bacon and cheese, and I can chop some onions and peppers if you want."

"Bacon and cheese are fine. But I could use another cup of coffee."

"No problem." She finished Gibbs' omelet while the coffee brewed and placed it on the table. "Sit. Eat," she commanded and handed him the coffee then proceeded to make her own omelet. When it was finished she grabbed a soda from the refrigerator and joined Gibbs at the table. They had just finished eating when they heard Tony stirring in the bedroom. "I'll check on him," said Gibbs and left the room.

Tony was sitting on the side of the bed, head in hands when Gibbs entered the room. "How bad?" Gibbs asked.

"Feels like somebody hit me with a pool cue," answered Tony. "Wait! Somebody _did_ hit me with a pool cue."

"Think you can take a shower on your own? Or do you need some help?"

"I think I'm good, boss. But could you stay close, just in case?"

"Sure DiNozzo." Tony got up slowly and moved to the bathroom. A few minutes later, Gibbs heard the shower running. He took the time to get some jeans, boxers and a sweatshirt out of Tony's bag and laid them out on the bed. A few minutes later, Tony came into the bedroom, towel wrapped around his waist. "I'm okay, boss," he said. "I'll be out in a minute. Thanks for getting my clothes ready."

Tony walked carefully into the den and sat on the couch. As long as he moved slowly and didn't move his head too much, the pain was manageable. Talking was almost unbearable but he didn't want to let Gibbs know that. Hopefully, Gibbs would go to work soon and Tony would only have to deal with Riley. Without a word, Riley walked over to Tony and handed him two pills and a glass of water. "I don't . . ." he started but Riley interrupted him. "Shut up and take the pills, Tony. I know you're hurting. This will take the edge off."

"But they'll make me go back to sleep."

"Tony. It's 6:30. So what if you go back to sleep – we'll snuggle on the couch and when you wake up I'll make you a smoothie. If the pain eases up you can switch to Tylenol for the rest of the day. Now take the pills." Ignoring Gibbs' snort of laughter Tony grudgingly swallowed the medication, grabbed the remote and began running through the channels. A few minutes later Gibbs left for NCIS. After cleaning up the kitchen, Riley kept her promise and joined Tony on the couch. Riley noticed when Tony's breathing changed, indicating that he had fallen asleep and it wasn't too long before her own eyes closed in slumber.

TBC


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

Chapter 22: Recognition?

Gibbs arrived at the bullpen to find McGee and Ziva already at their desks. "Have you heard from Tony this morning?" Ziva asked.

"Yeah. He's hurting pretty bad but the swellings down. Bruising looks worse though," answered Gibbs.

McGee looked at Gibbs curiously. "You stopped by to see him? This early?"

"I, uh, actually stayed at Riley's last night," Gibbs admitted. "Just in case he gave her any trouble about his meds or anything." He glared at the two agents, daring them to say anything else. Getting the message, the two turned back to their computers. "Anything new on the case that we need to go over before the meeting?"

"I'm running a facial recognition program on the sketch," said McGee. "I should have a list by the time we meet, but I don't think I'll have time to narrow it down. I can do that later."

"Good work, McGee. Ziva, you got anything?"

"Nothing new, Gibbs," replied Ziva with a sigh, fully expecting Gibbs to be angry. Instead he simply nodded and told her to get back to work.

Two hours later the team (sans Tony and Riley) once again met in the NCIS conference room. As promised, Tim had a list of matches generated from the facial recognition program. "The program matched the sketch with 76 women from various databases," Tim explained, scrolling through the photos projected on the screen. "Of course, our murderer may not even be in the system but it's a place to start. I can give you a shorter list later, after I run the names to eliminate those who may be incarcerated or dead. And I'm pretty sure we can pull this one off the list." Tim stopped the photo slide show to reveal a picture of none other than Agent Riley Kendall!

"Is this a joke, Agent McGee?" asked Fornell angrily. "Trying to make the FBI look bad?"

"No! The computer matched her, not me. And except for the hair, she really does look a lot like the sketch." To prove the point, McGee placed Riley's photo side by side with the sketch. The other agents in the room couldn't help but notice the similarities. "But of course we know that she's not the killer."

"Do we?" asked Sacks. The other agents looked at him in surprise. "I mean, what do we really know about her? I didn't even know her first name last week. And she's only been in DC for a few months. If she didn't work for the Bureau we would check her out in a heartbeat."

"He's right," said Vance. The NCIS agents started to protest but Vance interrupted them. "No, I don't think Riley is guilty. But if we don't eliminate her based on evidence, then a good defense attorney could use it against us when we find the _real_ killer. Treat her just like any of the other matches and if something comes up, we will treat her just like any other suspect."

"Where are Agents Kendall and DiNozzo anyway?" asked Sacks. Gibbs had spoken to Fornell earlier, so Sacks was the only one who did not know about Tony's injury.

"A guy hit him in the face with a pool cue Wednesday night – cracked his jaw and his cheekbone. He'll be okay but the doctor told him to stay off the job 'til Monday," Gibbs explained. "Riley took a couple of days off to stay with him."

Sacks grinned but it didn't reach his eyes. "Well that was fast, even for DiNozzo."

"Shut up, Sacks," barked Fornell before Gibbs could express the same sentiment. "Keep your mind on the case and out of the gutter." Sacks complied but silently decided that he was going to do a very thorough background check on Agent Riley Kendall. If there were any skeletons in her closet, he was going to find them.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Riley woke up to the sound of her cell phone. She slipped out of Tony's arms and ran to the kitchen to answer the call. Glancing at the caller ID she said, "Hi, Brad."

"_Riley? You sound like you just woke up. Aren't you at work?" Brad asked._

"I took a couple of days off to stay with Tony. Or rather, he's staying with me. He was injured Wednesday night but he's going to be okay."

"_Tony's injured? What happened?"_

"Some drunk guy hit him with a pool cue. He has hairline fractures of his jaw and his cheekbone. The bruising looks fierce but the doctor said he'll be fine. I'm just making sure he takes his meds."

"_That's a job in itself. He hates taking medication. What's your secret? Maybe I can try it next time."_

Riley laughed. "I don't think so – I bribed him with snuggles on the couch. I can't see that working for you! So anyway, what's up? I'm sure you didn't call just to shoot the breeze."

"_I didn't get a chest x-ray when you were here on Monday. I want to make sure everything is okay. I was going to see if you could come in today but I guess we could wait until Monday morning."_

"I feel fine, Brad. I've been running on the treadmill without any problems at all."

"_I know you feel fine, but just indulge me, okay? Better safe than sorry. We can do it first thing Monday morning before you go to work."_

"Can it wait until next weekend? I've got reserve duty so I'll be at Bethesda all weekend. I can get a chest x-ray during my down time." Brad reluctantly agreed and they talked for a few more minutes before she ended the call and headed back to the couch. She grabbed the remote and turned the TV on before settling down beside Tony again. She smiled as he tightened his arms around her and whispered in her ear, "Welcome back."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Riley apologized. "Brad was on the phone. He wants me to come in for a chest x-ray. I told him I was fine but he's insisting. I finally agreed just to shut him up. You hungry? I could fix you a smoothie or maybe some oatmeal."

"Oatmeal's good – if you've got maple syrup."

"Got you covered." Riley started to get up but Tony wouldn't let her go. "Come on, Tony. I am not going to spend all day curled up on the couch. _You_, however, are going to rest as much as possible. I don't want Gibbs on my case." Riley slipped from his grip and went into the kitchen, sighing in frustration when Tony followed her. In the bright lighting, Riley got a better look at this face and frowned at the dark bruises. "Listen, please try not to talk. I know that has to hurt. You can have something else for pain in about half an hour. Are you going to be okay 'til then?"

Tony started to speak but at Riley warning glare, nodded his head instead, trying unsuccessfully to hide the grimace of pain elicited by the movement. He sat down at the kitchen table and watched at Riley prepared his oatmeal. Placing it on the table, she poured Tony a glass of milk and gave it to him along with the syrup. At his questioning glance she told him that she and Gibbs had eaten earlier.

"Gibbs was here?" Tony asked, ignoring Riley's look. "What? You want me to use ASL?"

"You know ASL? That's perfect!" Riley exclaimed. "And yes, Gibbs was here. He spent the night. I guess he thought we needed a chaperone."

"Wasn't there a task force meeting this morning?" Tony was signing now, slowly since he was a little out of practice, knowing he would probably have to finger-spell a lot of words.

"Yeah, but I already gave them what they needed from me. And I'm sure Gibbs will let you know if anything else comes up."

Tony finished eating and Riley sent him back to the couch while she cleaned up the few dishes. A few minutes later she heard the sounds of the piano. Smiling, she leaned against the doorway and watched Tony play. He was good, really good. It wasn't just the technical proficiency, it was his passion. She closed her eyes and let the music wash over her. She hated to interrupt but it was almost time for his pain meds – if she could get him to take them. Hopefully, she could at least get him to take the Tylenol.

Tony didn't hear Riley come into the room, barely noticed when she sat down beside him on the piano bench. He always seemed to lose himself in the music when he played. It was one of the few times he truly let down his guard which was why very few people knew about his talent. Yet for some reason he didn't mind letting Riley know his secret. As he finished the song, he finally realized that Riley was next to him.

"I love to hear you play," she said quietly. "Are you just a piano man or can you play anything else?"

"I play guitar, too, but I really prefer the piano."

"I'm just the opposite, I guess. I can play the piano, but I prefer strings – violin, guitar, mandolin – it doesn't really matter. I just love to play."

"So it's your turn now – play for me." Riley slipped off the piano bench and opened one of the guitar cases, taking out a Martin D28. She adjusted the tuning and started playing a song that Tony had never heard. A few moments later she began to sing. Tony was surprised at the tone of her voice – he would have expected her to be a soprano but instead she sang in a strong, clear alto. After she finished, Tony turned back to the keyboard and began playing some jazz and was surprised to hear Riley filling in with some really hot guitar licks. They played for a little while longer until Riley realized that it was long past time for Tony's pain meds.

"You are supposed to be resting," Riley said. "And you need to take something for pain – Tylenol or the good stuff?"

"Tylenol for now," Tony signed in reply. "It's not too bad right now." At Riley's look of disbelief he added, "Honest. If it gets too bad I'll tell you. Now, can we go downstairs and watch a movie?"

Riley grinned. "I'll get the Tylenol. Meet you in the basement."

TBC

A/N: Warning: This was written under the influence of some really good drugs! I had to have shoulder surgery – doctor's found a growth in the joint that was pressing on the nerves and causing the loss of sensation in my arm and hand. The good news is that the feeling is back (and it wasn't cancer, thank God.) Bad news is that it hurts (but I do have good drugs!) Still typing one handed so I'm really slow. Hopefully I'll be back up to speed soon.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I don't own any recognizable characters. Wish I did.

Chapter 23: Digging into the Past

Agent Ron Sacks was frustrated. He had planned to hack into Agent Kendall's FBI personnel file to get the background information that he needed but was unable to access anything except the most basic data. Other sources were just as frustrating – he could find nothing about Agent Kendall prior to the age of fifteen. He couldn't even find her birth certificate, for God's sake! What was going on?

Sacks realized that he was going to have to look elsewhere. He couldn't imagine that Kendall was in witness protection so maybe her name had been changed for some other reason. He began searching through the state databases to look for a name change to Riley Kendall. Sometime later, he finally located what he had been looking for – Riley's birth name.

Sacks started a new search using the new name, and he was both shocked and excited about what he discovered. It wasn't enough to convict her but coupled with the results of the facial recognition software, it _was_ enough to make her a person of interest – at least to Sacks, that is. He would keep an eye on Agent Kendall and when she tried to strike again, he would be ready for her.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Riley had convinced Tony to take some more of the strong painkillers after eating some leftover potato soup for lunch. Shortly afterward he had gone to sleep on the downstairs sofa and Riley covered him with a blanket before going upstairs to do some work. She went to the computer and checked her emails, responding to those that needed action. While she was working, her cell phone rang. "Kendall," she answered, as she continued to type.

"_Riley, it's Abby. I just called to check on Tony. Is he okay?"_

"He won't admit it, but he's hurting pretty bad today. I've been making him use ASL instead of talking. He took some of the good drugs after lunch, though, and he's sleeping now."

"_Are you sure he's okay? Should he still be hurting that bad?"_

"Sometimes the pain is worse the second day than it is the first so this is not unexpected. Sleep's good for him. I promise I'm taking good care of him, Abby. You can come by tonight and see for yourself."

"_That's just it! I can't come over tonight – I'm bowling with the nuns."_

"I'm not even going to ask. Abby, he'll be fine. Honest. You can stop worrying. Anything interesting come up in the meeting today?"

Abby hesitated and Riley didn't miss the pause. "Abby, what is it?"

"_Well, uh, McGee ran the sketch of the suspect though a facial recognition program and, well, uh. . ."_

"I showed up in the results, right? I'm not surprised. I noticed how much the sketch looked like me right away, except for the hair. I wondered when you guys would get around to it."

"_You're not upset? You know that they'll be checking your alibis and stuff. God, I probably shouldn't have said anything._"

"Let them check. My life is extremely boring – or at least it was until this week. I have nothing to hide." Riley grimaced as she made the last statement. Hopefully no one would dig _too_ deep – if they did, she was screwed. Everything that she had built over the last several years would come crashing to the ground. "Don't worry about it, Abby. I'm not going to."

"_Okay, if you say so. Listen, I gotta go. I'll call later. And you call me if he gets worse, you call me immediately, do you hear me?"_

"Yes, ma'am! You'll be the first person I'll call. Actually, no, that would be Gibbs – you'll be second. I'll talk to you later, Abby. Bye."

"_Bye, Riley."_

Riley closed her eyes and tried to slow her breathing. Her heart was pounding out of her chest and she wanted to run. It would be easy – she had new identity documents and cash in her safe. She would just have to grab her go bag and she could be gone. Then she thought of the man sleeping downstairs. For the first time in her life, she had a reason to stay. There would still be time to leave if things started to fall apart. Against her better judgment, she would wait and see what happened. Unable to work any longer, she moved to the piano, hoping to work out her frustration on the keyboard.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Tony awakened to the sound of a piano. At first he thought he was at home, that he had gone to sleep while watching a DVD (it wouldn't be the first time!) As his mind cleared, he realized he was in Riley's basement and the music was coming from upstairs. He stood up carefully and made his way up the steps, listening to the music as he ascended. It was dark, almost violent, as if the piano player was taking out his (or rather her) anger on the instrument. As he entered the room, he was stunned at the expression of despair on Riley's face as she pounded out the melody on the keys. And were those tears?

"Riley," he said softly. "What's wrong?"

Startled, Riley stopped playing. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to wake you." She wouldn't look at him, _couldn't _look at him. She had become so wrapped up in the music that she had forgotten that he was downstairs. How in the world had that happened? And how was she going to explain why she had suddenly decided to take out her anxieties on the piano?

"Look at me, Riley. What. Is Wrong?" Something had happened, something bad enough to completely change Riley's attitude.

"Bad memories. Please. Please – I can't talk about it. Not now. Maybe, maybe, . . ."

"Easy," Tony said, moving to her side. "You don't have to tell me anything. Not until you're ready. Not ever if you don't want to. Trust me, I understand about bad memories."

Riley looked at him. "You're not supposed to be talking."

"I'm okay, a little sore, but a lot better. I'm more worried about you right now."

Tony took Riley's hand and they moved to the sofa. He didn't say anything, just wrapped her in his arms and held her. He felt her shaking against him, felt the tears soaking through his shirt. He simply tightened his embrace, letting her know that she was safe. Eventually, she quieted. "I'm sorry," she whispered again. "I wish I could explain but . . ."

"I told you it was okay," Tony answered. "Whenever you're ready, I'll be here." Tony took his thumb and gently brushed the tears from her cheeks. Kissing her lightly, he said, "I'm going to take a shower and then you're going to take me out to dinner."

"I am, huh? You sound pretty sure of yourself."

"Well, I would take you, but I don't think I should be driving. And you can take me anywhere you want – as long as they have decent soup on the menu."

"Okay, you win. Go take your shower. I probably need to clean up a little bit, too." Tony kissed her again and went into the bedroom while Riley went upstairs to repair her makeup. She had just finished, looking critically at her reflection to make sure all evidence of her breakdown was covered, when the doorbell rang. She wasn't expecting anyone but figured that it could possibly be one of the NCIS team coming to check on Tony. She went downstairs and looked through the peephole. _'Crap! This is going to be awkward.' _ She opened the door to admit Alan Bradshaw, a fellow choir member from church. Alan had asked her out several times but she had always turned him down. He seemed to be a nice guy but she just wasn't interested in that kind of relationship with him. What in the world was he doing at her house?

"Hi, Alan," she said cautiously. "What brings you here?"

"Hi, Riley," he answered, stepping inside. "I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by and see if you were free for dinner."

Riley was surprised that Alan would just walk into her house uninvited, especially the way he moved into the den and began looking around. "I'm sorry, Alan. I'm afraid I already have plans so I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Oh, come on, Riley. You always turn me down. You don't have to make up excuses. If you don't want to have dinner with me just say so."

"I have said so. Many times. Now please get out of my house." Riley was beginning to get nervous – Alan had always been a gentleman but she had never seen him outside of church. She wasn't really worried about defending herself against him; however, she really didn't want to get into a physical confrontation with him. But as Alan began moving closer to her, getting into her personal space, she didn't know how she was going to avoid physically removing him from her house. Before she could make her own move, she heard Tony speak from the doorway.

Tony walked out of the bedroom after hearing voices in the other room. He didn't recognize the man but he could tell from Riley's tone of voice that the man was not welcome. Wearing only jeans, he moved to the doorway and spoke in a low, dangerous tone, "Are you going to introduce me to your friend, Riley?"

Alan looked up at the sound of the voice and was shocked to see a shirtless man standing in the doorway. He was also dismayed when he realized that his own physique was sadly lacking when compared to the man in front of him. On top of that, the severe bruising on the man's face didn't hide the fact that he was much better looking than Alan. "Well, I guess I know why you wouldn't go out with _me_, "sneered Alan, trying to mask his discomfort. "I wonder what Pastor and Michael will say when I tell them I caught you with a half-naked man."

Riley's jaw dropped but before she could say anything, Tony spoke, his tone low and dangerous. "I don't know who you are and I don't really care." Tony stepped closer to Alan, never taking his eyes off the man's face. "But if you say or do _anything_ to hurt Riley, you will have to answer to me."

"Tony, it's okay," said Riley. "Alan was just leaving, weren't you Alan?" She looked pointedly at Bradshaw, noticing that he had grown very pale and that a sheen of sweat had appeared on his face.

"No, Riley, it's definitely _not_ okay. He threatened you and I don't take that lightly. Now, Alan – you don't mind if I call you Alan, do you? – Riley is right about one thing. You _are_ leaving. But first you are going to apologize to her for making crude and unfounded assumptions about her. Then you're going to get out of here. And remember, if you hurt her, I _will_ find out and there is nowhere on this earth that you will be able to hide. Got it?"

Bradshaw was barely able to stutter out an apology before bolting for the door. As he was leaving, Riley caught a whiff of the unmistakable odor of urine. "He peed himself!" she shouted. "You made him pee himself!" She looked at Tony, expecting to see a grin but was stunned to see him looking at her with a dark, almost pained, expression.

"I did it again," he said quietly. "I've been in your life for a week and I'm destroying your reputation."

"Tony, look at me. Please. I know you're not going to believe this after my meltdown on Tuesday, but I don't care what people think, not anymore. I want to be with you regardless of what assholes like Alan Bradshaw think."

Tony's eyes widened. "I thought you didn't use swear words. Last time I checked, 'asshole' wasn't exactly used in polite conversation." He moved closer to her, pulling her into his embrace. "I just don't want you to be hurt because of me."

"I. Don't. Care." She was looking at him, very aware of the feel of his bare skin. "It would be worth it as long as I'm with you." Slowly, carefully in deference to his injuries, Riley pulled his face down to hers. They kissed gently.

Almost of their own accord, Riley's hands began moving across Tony's chest. She wanted to touch him, and not just his chest. God help her, she _wanted_ him. In response, Tony's own hands moved to Riley's shirt, slipping underneath and gently caressing the silken skin, pausing only slightly when he encountered the scarred flesh on her side and back. They were moving toward the couch when the doorbell rang.

"If that's Alan again I will kill him where he stands," groaned Tony, as Riley grabbed pulled down her shirt and attempted to compose herself.

"Later," whispered Riley, as she went to the door. "And you better put a shirt on." As Tony went back to the bedroom, Riley checked the peephole and called out, "It's Abby – you don't have to kill anybody."

Riley opened the door and Abby came in, dressed for a night at the bowling alley. "What do you mean he doesn't have to kill anybody?" asked Abby as she entered. "And where is he anyway?"

"He's getting dressed," answered Riley, "and as for your first question, I had an uninvited guest and Tony, uh, convinced him to leave."

"Getting dressed, huh?" Abby looked at Riley, noticing that she was a little bit disheveled and slightly flushed. "Did I interrupt something?" Abby's eyes were sparkling.

"Abby! We were just, uh, well . . .oh, poop, Abby. Your timing is lousy!" They both laughed and Tony's entrance a minute later started them giggling again.

"What did I miss?" Tony asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"Nothing, Tony, I was just leaving," said Abby, grinning wickedly at Riley. She walked over to Tony and gave him a hug and kiss. "Take care of her, Tony. She's a keeper." As she left, she looked at Riley and mouthed _'call me', _ignoring the confused look on Tony's face. He looked at Riley, hoping to get an answer from her, but she simply blushed and refused to meet his gaze. Instead she said, "C'mon – let's go get dinner."

TBC

A/N: My arm is getting better (physical therapy sucks) – I can actually use my left hand again. Not 100% yet but I'm getting there. Thanks for the concern.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: Yeah Yeah Yeah Ain't Mine (Crap.)

A/N: I started to put in a long, apologetic disclaimer about why I haven't updated in forever but frankly I have no excuse. I'll try to do better.

Chapter 24: Figuring It Out

Dinner went by in a blur. Riley didn't even remember what she had eaten as she and Tony left the restaurant and headed back to her townhouse. She wondered (hoped) if they would continue where they had left off before Abby came by. Or was it just something that happened in the heat of the moment? And was she really willing to abandon her personal moral code for Tony, a man that had only been a dream until less than a week ago? She glanced at Tony who sat silently in the passenger seat, eyes closed. Was he worth it?

Tony's thoughts were much like Riley's. As much as he wanted to carry on with the make-out session that was in process earlier, he didn't know if he and Riley were ready to move on to the next step. Well, he knew that _he_ was, but he didn't want to pressure Riley into something she would regret later. Of course she didn't act like she was being pressured earlier so maybe Riley wasn't as innocent as she seemed. He opened his eyes and looked at Riley as she drove noticing that her lower lip was trapped between her teeth as if she was worried. "Wanna talk about it?" he asked.

Riley answered quietly, "I wouldn't know where to start. I don't know what I'm feeling right now. I know what I want and . . . and. . . " Riley paused before continuing in a voice almost too soft to hear, "I'm terrified."

Tony hesitated. "What do you want Riley?"

She didn't answer. They had reached the townhouse and she parked the car, then got out and headed towards the door. Tony exited the car and followed her, knowing that she would answer when she was ready.

They entered the house and Riley walked silently to the sofa and sat down. Tony sat next to her but didn't touch her. She turned to him, gently tracing her fingers over the bruising on his face. "You, Tony. I want you." He started to speak but she silenced him with a kiss then surprised him by straddling his lap. She continued kissing him, her hands moving to the hem of his shirt, lifting it and pulling it over his head. She sat back and removed her own shirt, revealing a delicate black lace bra. "The question is," she asked, "do _you_ want _me_?" In response Tony stood, lifting Riley in his arms and without a word carried her into the bedroom.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

She looked at the man sleeping beside her and gently carded her fingers through his hair, smiling as he leaned into her touch. He was so handsome – much more so than the others. And she had hoped that he was different. But no. Tonight proved that he was just the same. He was only after one thing. And he would use her until he got tired of her and then he would be gone.

They all used her and then threw her away. But not anymore. She made sure of that, made sure that they would _never_ leave her. It was so easy. Even the most straight-laced man couldn't resist her when she suggested a little light bondage. At first she just loosely tied the hands with the silken ropes, with knots that could easily be slipped. Little by little, she increased the bonds and the strength of the bindings. By the time they realized what was happening, it was too late. They had to lay there, helpless, knowing that they had _allowed_ themselves to be tied up – and knowing that they were going to die.

Maybe it wasn't too late. Maybe this time he wouldn't leave her. Maybe, maybe, maybe. . . but no. She knew better. But it wasn't his time yet. First she had to get rid of Brian – stupid, disgusting Brian. He was not at all hesitant about the bondage and it wouldn't be long until she made him pay. Probably this weekend or perhaps the next, definitely no later than that. Once he was gone, she could concentrate on her current lover. Smiling, she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek and whispered, "Goodnight, Tony."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_Monday Morning – NCIS Bullpen_

Tony walked in to the bullpen, smiling as he realized he was in before Ziva or McGee. He sat down at his desk and booted up his computer, frowning slightly as he remembered that he was on desk duty for the week. Oh, well. Sighing, he began checking his emails – they had stacked up during his two day absence. A few minutes later he heard the distinctive "ding" of the elevator and Ziva walked in, stopping in surprise when she saw Tony at his desk. "You are here early," she observed. She dropped her bag behind her own desk and went over to Tony. "How are you feeling?"

"Still sore," Tony confessed. "The swelling's pretty much gone now, though, and the bruising's not as bad."

Ziva gently grasped his chin and turned his face to see for herself. True, it didn't look as bad as it had on Thursday, but it still looked painful. "Are you sure you are ready to be back at work?"

"I'm fine, Ziva. Besides, I'm stuck on desk duty for the rest of the week, so I think I'll be okay."

"So, what did you do over the weekend?" Ziva asked the question innocently enough but was surprised when she saw Tony's reaction. Was he _blushing_? No, no way.

"I stayed with Riley again Friday night. We just stayed around the house and watched a couple of movies and a little NCAA basketball on Saturday. I went back to my place Saturday night." Ziva noticed that Tony did not look at her while he answered. He may not have been lying to her, but she did not think that he was being entirely truthful.

"So, you just stayed home yesterday?" Ziva pressed, trying to find out more.

"Um, no. I, uh, actually went to church with Riley. She had a solo with the choir yesterday and I wanted to hear her sing."

McGee had walked in just in time to hear Tony's last statement. "Church?" he asked incredulously. "_You_ went to _church_?"

"Who went to church?" asked Gibbs, walking in, coffee in hand.

"Tony," answered McGee. "At least that's what he said."

"That true, DiNozzo? You get religion?" asked Gibbs.

"C'mon guys, give me a break," said Tony. "So I went to church with Riley. What's the big deal?" Before anyone could answer, Ducky walked in to the bullpen and came over to Tony's desk. He looked at Tony's bruises with a critical eye before asking, "How are you feeling? Are you still taking the pain medication?"

"The pain is manageable," answered Tony. "I'm sticking with Tylenol during the day and saving the stronger stuff for nighttime."

"I intended to come over the weekend and check you out, but I never got the chance. I figured Dr. Kendall was quite capable of taking care of you." Ducky gently probed Tony's cheekbone, apologizing when Tony winced at the contact. "I'm sorry, Anthony. It's obviously still very tender. Just a little more – can you move your jaw side to side? Now open and close." Tony complied and Ducky smiled. "Your injuries appear to be healing quite well. But you _will_ stay on desk duty this week – is that understood?"

Tony sighed. "Yes, Ducky. I know. I already got the same lecture from Riley. I'll behave." Hoping the inquisition was over, Tony turned back to his computer and continued going through his emails. Gibbs took pity on him and said, "Alright everybody. Get to work. And DiNozzo, you might as well get it over with – go see Abby." With a look of pure gratitude, Tony headed for the elevator.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Abby was about to go see Tony when he entered her lab. "Tony!" she shouted, throwing herself into his arms. "Welcome back! I missed you!"

"You just saw me on Friday, Abs," said Tony. "And I missed you, too."

"About Friday. . . anything you want to share?" She wondered what, if anything, had happened between Tony and Riley over the weekend. She hoped that her untimely appearance Friday evening hadn't ruined things.

"C'mon Abby. Since when do I kiss and tell?"

"How about every weekend? You _always_ give plenty of details about your weekend escapades. It makes me wonder why you're being so close-mouthed this time. So spill it!"

"Not happening, Abs. All I'm saying is that I had a _great_ weekend. Best I've had in a long time." He hesitated. "I really like her, Abby. I like her a lot. I just hope I don't screw it up."

Abby hugged him again and said, "You won't screw it up, Tony. And for the record, I think you two are going to be good for each other. Now you better get back upstairs before Gibbs sends out a search party." Laughing, Tony kissed Abby on the cheek and went upstairs to begin his week in the hell known as desk duty.


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: Again, I would like to point out that I do not own any recognizable characters in this fic. I wish I did.

A/N: Whoa! I did not expect the reaction that I got from the last chapter. All I can say is hang on – this ride's just getting started! Also, to those who reviewed chapter 24, thank you so much. I apologize for not responding to each of you personally. RL has been overwhelming but I have a two week break coming up (YAY!) so I'm hoping to actually complete this thing. Now – on with the show . . .

Chapter 25: Secrets Revealed (Part I)

The week of desk duty passed remarkably quickly for Tony. As much as he hated paperwork, it was a necessary evil. He had even found a couple of new leads on one of the cold cases he had reviewed. And even though he hated being left behind when the team was out on a case, he was still able to be useful in the office, doing background research and following up on leads. In fact, McGee noticed that Tony was a lot more 'useful' than usual. Tony was running searches that were much more complicated than he usually ran – not as complex as what McGee or Abby did, of course, but far beyond his typical Google search. When the team returned to the office after a Thursday afternoon call-out, Tony was prepared with a full background on the victim as well as the man's phone, credit card and service records. He had also spoken to the man's CO and had calls in to his two best friends. Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, McGee burst out, "What gives, Tony? Since when do you run searches like that? And for that matter, when did your keyboarding speed triple?"

Tony grinned. "Damn, Probie! I guess I'm busted! Okay,I admit it. I've been holding out. I'm not as computer illiterate as you think – nowhere up to your skill level, mind you but I'm not bad."

McGee was speechless. All this time he had been giving Tony a hard time, talking down to him in such a smug, condescending matter. "But. . . why. . . why now?"

"I'm tired of playing games." Tony's answer was simple. "I let people see what they want to see. Everyone sees me as the playboy, the class clown – whatever. Nobody expects me to have any tech skills. Nobody expects me to be smart. I was 'just' a Phys Ed major, right?"

McGee winced. How many times had he shoved his own education in Tony's face, smirking at what he considered to be a useless major, something easy for the jocks so they could at least look like they were getting an education while they played ball.

Noticing Tim's discomfort, Tony smiled and continued. "It's okay, McGee. I realize that a Phys Ed major is not exactly what you expect a former cop and current federal agent to have. Criminal justice or criminology, maybe even psychology – now _that_ would probably make more sense."

"Well, yeah," McGee answered. "I just don't get how you made the jump from PE to law enforcement. You have to admit that's pretty unusual."

"Well, I guess I'm just an unusual kind of guy." Tony hesitated before continuing, "Who also has a second major in Criminology with a minor in psych. Tell Gibbs I went to see Ducky – he wanted to make sure I'm still healing okay." Tony walked out of the bullpen leaving a gaping McGee staring.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"So what's the verdict, Ducky?" asked Tony. "Can I _please_ get off desk duty? We're on duty this weekend, which is bad enough, but being stuck at a desk just makes it worse."

Ducky smiled at Tony's pleading. "I see no reason for you to remain stuck behind the desk. I'll let Jethro know that you are released as of tomorrow."

"Yes! Thank you, Ducky!" He started toward the elevator only to be stopped by Ducky's warning.

"You have to promise that you will be careful, Anthony. You are _not_ completely healed and a blow to the jaw or cheekbone could result in a displaced fracture – and surgery."

"I'll be careful. Now if I can just make it through the next few hours, my desk torture will be over." He went back up to the bullpen only to be cornered by Ziva. Apparently Tim had shared his earlier conversation and Ziva was just as curious as to why Tony was suddenly so much more efficient in the office. "McGee tells me that you have been holding out on us, Tony," she said. "That you are much more skilled on the computer than you let on."

Before Tony could answer, Gibbs spoke up, "Leave him alone, both of you. Haven't you ever wondered why he comes in at night after everyone else has gone home?" Tony looked at Gibbs, not a bit surprised that the older man was well aware of Tony's skills.

"So why the change?" asked McGee. "I mean, you've been doing this for years. What's different now?"

Tony grinned. "Maybe I have better things to do at night lately, McNosy." Gibbs snorted and McGee's grin almost matched Tony's.

"Never mind, Tony," Tim replied. "I think I'll file that under 'too much information.'" The three men laughed and Ziva joined them, none of them noticing that her smile and laughter were a little forced.

'_Tony and I are just friends,' _she thought._ 'We both agreed that that was for the best.'_ But in her heart she wondered, '_But best for who?'_

Ziva's thoughts were interrupted when Tim asked Tony about the weekend. "So how are you and Riley going to deal with you being on duty this weekend? Of course, you're still on desk duty so. . ."

"Not on desk duty any more, at least as of tomorrow," Tony interjected. "Ducky just cleared me, Boss. Said he'd let you know. Anyway, Riley will be at Bethesda pulling Reserve duty all weekend so I might as well be at work. And besides, she's a federal agent too. It's not like she doesn't understand long hours. It's kind of nice for a change." Tony's phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, he recognized it as a return call from one of his earlier inquiries. "Gotta take this – it's our victim's roommate." As he answered his phone, the rest of the team went back to work, trying to determine if the victim's death was actually the suicide it appeared to be.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Later, Tony lay on the sofa, his head pillowed on Riley's thighs. They had opted to eat dinner at home, ordering from Tony's favorite Thai restaurant, followed by a movie. Tony was almost asleep, lulled into blissful relaxation by the feel of Riley fingers running through his hair. They had been together every evening, watching movies, listening to music and just talking. They talked about their pasts, both of them sharing more than they had ever revealed to anyone else. They felt comfortable with each other, enjoying one another's company, sometimes being content simply to sit quietly and watch television (although Tony learned that it was impossible for Riley to watch college basketball _quietly_!)

It was Riley who had encouraged Tony to allow his teammates to see that he was more than he appeared to be. She was actually angry when she found out that they had no idea that he had the Criminology major in addition to his Phys Ed degree. Tony smiled as he wondered what McGee would do when he found out that Tony also had a master's degree in Sociology.

"What's so funny?" asked Riley, seeing Tony's smile.

"Just thinking about what Tim's face is gonna look like when he finds out I have a master's degree," Tony answered, still grinning. "You should have seen him today when he found out I had a dual major – I thought he was gonna lose it! Boss wasn't surprised, though. He knows everything."

Riley laughed. "I'm glad you let them know. They underestimated you and they don't really give you the respect you deserve."

"It's okay, Riley. I let people see what I want them to see. I _like_ to be underestimated – it makes people drop their guard. They say things in front of me that they don't think I understand – it's a great way to gather intel."

Tony shifted on the sofa, moving so Riley could lie next to him. They cuddled on the couch, making out like a couple of teenagers until Tony reluctantly got up to leave. "I'm back in the field tomorrow but if we don't get called out, do you want to have lunch? It's gonna be a long time 'til Sunday night."

"I'll have to call you – I'm meeting with my boss at 9:00 but it shouldn't take more than a couple of hours. Aaron generally gets right to the point."

After one last kiss, Tony headed home, Riley watching as he drove away. She rested her forehead against the window and sighed. She wasn't supposed to feel like this. She was supposed to stay detached. She couldn't allow her emotions to overrule common sense – otherwise things were going to end badly. She had to stay in control. But maybe, just maybe, things could be different this time. Or maybe she was only dreaming.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Tony's first day back in the field started early with a call from Gibbs at the lovely hour of 4:00 a.m. which really sucked since Tony didn't leave Riley's apartment until one. Well, he was the one that wanted to get off desk duty. On the way in to the office he texted Riley letting her know that their lunch date probably wasn't going to happen. And it didn't. If fact, the team stayed busy virtually non-stop until Sunday afternoon, when the case was wrapped up except for the inevitable paperwork. Tony hadn't even had a chance to talk to Riley, only exchanging a couple of text messages with each other over the weekend.

They were all exhausted, wanting nothing more than to finish their reports, grab a bite to eat and go home for a real night's sleep. They were all so engrossed in their work that they barely noticed the ding of the elevator but the aroma of Italian food could not be ignored. Tony was the first to look up to see Riley walking in with two large bags and oh my God she was in uniform.

Gibbs looked up and resisted the urge to snap to attention (once a Marine, always a Marine). He grinned as he noticed the silver oak leaf on her collar. "Congratulations Colonel Kendall. When did you get the promotion?"

Riley grinned back. "Officially, this weekend. I made the list some time ago, but I really didn't expect to make rank this soon. I'm glad, too. Brad doesn't outrank me anymore so he can't order me around. Anyway, I figured you guys might be hungry so I thought I'd bring you dinner."

"That smells so good!" McGee exclaimed. "And I for one am starving!"

"Dig in. I probably brought too much but I wasn't sure who would still be around." As Tim and Ziva began unpacking the bag, Riley moved to Tony's desk. Smiling, she said softly, "Missed you."

"Missed you, too," he replied. "And for the record, you look really hot in uniform." Laughing, she punched his arm before he leaned down and gently kissed her.

"Hey, DiNozzo – you're still on duty. No kissing in the bullpen. And if you plan on eating, you better get over here before it's all gone," Gibbs called.

"Coming, Boss," answered Tony. Turning back to Riley, he asked," You staying?"

"No, I'm really tired," she answered. "I'm gonna go on home. You coming by later?"

"If you want me to. It might be kinda late, though."

"I want you to," Riley said. Hesitating, she pressed something into his hand. "Here. You can let yourself in. See you later." Then she kissed him and headed for the elevator as Tony stared at the key to her townhouse.

TBC


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: Don't own them. Not making any money off of this. Just having lots of fun.

A/N: I hate it when I start reading a story and the author never finishes it. I don't want to be one of those authors. That being said, I promise to finish this. No promises as to when but I'll try to do better.

Chapter 26: Secrets Revealed (Part II)

It was late (or early, depending on your point of view) when Tony finally left the bullpen. He considered going to his own apartment but, catching sight of the new addition to his key ring, made his way to Riley's townhouse instead. He let himself in, locking the door behind him. Seeing the flickering light from the television, he quietly made his way into the den and smiled at the sight before him. Riley was on the sofa, curled into a little ball, sound asleep.

Still smiling, Tony carefully lifted Riley into his arms, carrying her upstairs to the bedroom. He intended to put her to bed and slip out to his own home but she awakened halfway up the stairs. Snuggling into him she said, "You better not be planning on leaving."

"Actually, I _was_ going to tuck you in and head home. I'm exhausted," he admitted.

"Then put me down!" Tony complied and Riley took his hand, leading him into the bedroom. "Get undressed and lay down. I'll be right back."

Tony stripped down to his boxers and stretched out on the bed, almost groaning as he sank into the comfortable mattress. Riley came back to the bedroom with a towel and a small bottle of massage oil. She spread the towel on the bed and had Tony shift over until he was laying on this stomach, towel under his chest.

Riley straddled Tony's thighs and warmed the oil between her palms. Slowly she began massaging the oil into his back and shoulders, small hands kneading the taut muscles. Shifting position, she began working on his legs. Finally, Tony drifted off to sleep. Riley smiled and eased the towel out from under him and used it to wipe her hands. She dropped the towel and oil beside the bed, pulled the covers up and settled in beside Tony. In a few minutes, she joined him in slumber.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Tony woke up when he felt the warm body move away from him. Frowning, he reached out and pulled Riley back to bed. "Stay," he ordered. "Play hooky today and stay with me."

"Gibbs is giving you a day off?" Riley asked with mock amazement.

"Yeah, so stay with me and keep me company." He gave her his best puppy-dog look and she laughed. She kissed him and regretfully extricated herself from his embrace.

"I would love to stay but have a meeting with the boss this morning. It shouldn't take too long, so maybe I can get away early. Now – go back to sleep and I'll call you later." She kissed him again, laughing as he fell back to sleep almost immediately.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Good morning, Aaron," said Riley as she stepped into her boss' office.

"Good morning, Riley," replied Hotch. "Have a seat. It shouldn't take too long to review these cases."

The two of them worked quickly and efficiently, trying to determine whether or not the information was related to one of several open cases. By noon they had found a few connections and eliminated others. As they were finishing up, Riley spoke, uncharacteristically hesitant, "Um . . . I need to take off Thursday afternoon and Friday."

Hotch frowned. "What's going on?"

"Brad did a chest x-ray this weekend and there's an abnormality in my right lung. It's probably nothing but Brad wants to do a biopsy on Friday. I have to go in for labs on Thursday afternoon."

"You're having surgery?"

Riley shook her head. "Not really surgery. He's going to do a needle biopsy. It's outpatient and I'll be awake for the procedure. Sedated, but awake. They're doing it Friday morning so I'll get to go home that afternoon." She paused and took a deep breath. "It takes about a week to get the results. I'll know more then."

"Is Tony going with you?"

"I haven't told him. I'm not sure if I'm going to. There's no point in stressing him out when there's probably nothing to worry about."

"You should tell him, Riley. If he cares about you, he'll want to be there. You shouldn't have to go through this by yourself."

Riley shook her head. "We haven't been together very long. I don't know how he's going to react, especially if . . . if I do have cancer. I'll deal with it when I know the results. If it's just scar tissue, and it probably is, then I won't have worried him over nothing."

"Riley, someone needs to go with you. Let me go, or Garcia, or . . ."

"Hotch, I'll be fine. I only told you because I have to be out of the office. I'll tell Brad to call you if there are any problems but otherwise I'll be in on Monday. I'll be fine."

Hotch shook his head. "You should trust Tony. I believe he'll want to be there for you. If he doesn't, then he's not much of a man. And you know that the team is here for you, too. Go home, Riley. We're through here and we don't have anything pressing. I'll call if something comes up."

"Thanks, Aaron. For everything." Riley got up and left the office, wondering if Hotch was right. Maybe she should tell Tony. She just didn't know how.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It was a little after noon when Riley returned to the townhouse. She tiptoed up the stairs to find Tony still in bed. She lay down on top of the covers and curled against him. "You gonna sleep all day?" she whispered in his ear.

Tony opened his eyes and grinned. "I think we should just spend the rest of the day in bed. I'm sure we can find something to do." He rolled over and pulled Riley into his arms.

"I sure we can, but I'm hungry. Why don't I go fix us some lunch?" She got up, laughing at Tony's pout, and went downstairs to prepare lunch. She kept it simple, sandwiches and salads, and carried the food upstairs on a tray. Entering the bedroom, she found Tony propped up against the headboard, her side of the bed turned down invitingly.

"Eat first," she ordered. "Then – other things."

Later, after eating and engaging in an intense make out session, Riley lay comfortably ensconced in Tony's arms. It was so perfect – she didn't want to ruin the moment with bad news. She would tell Tony about the biopsy. But not now.

TBC


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: Still not mine. Not making any money. Yada, yada, yada.

Chapter 27: Miscommunication

Later that evening, Tony and Riley were watching television when Riley finally gathered the courage to tell Tony about the biopsy. Muting the TV, she spoke quietly, "We need to talk."

"_Oh crap. I knew it was too good to last,"_ Tony thought. Aloud he said, "You know that those are really scary words to begin a conversation."

Riley hesitated. How was she supposed to start this? "You remember that Brad wanted to do that chest x-ray?" At Tony's nod, she continued. "Well, he did it this past weekend and there's something, a shadow, on my right lung. Brad's going to do a biopsy on Friday."

Tony didn't say anything and his silence was terrifying. She didn't know what she expected – a hug, maybe, words of comfort, something. Just not this stillness from a man who was never still. "Tony? Tony, you're scaring me. Say some. . ."

She was interrupted when he grabbed her and pulled her tightly into his arms. Gathering her into his lap, he whispered desperately, "It's going to be okay. It has to be okay."

"Tony, what if. . . what if it's cancer?"

"Then we find out the best way to treat it and we go after it."

"We?"

"Yeah, _we_. You're not going through this alone. I'll be with you, no matter what."

Riley was stunned by his revelation. They hadn't been together very long. That hadn't even entered into a full sexual relationship (although they'd done everything _but_.) She couldn't believe that he was willing to stay by her side through what could turn out to be a terminal illness. "It may be nothing. Brad says it's probably scar tissue but . . ."

"I'm going with you on Friday. I'll call Gibbs and tell him I need the day off."

"You don't have to do that. What if you get a case?"

"I _want _to be there. Gibbs has worked without me before, he can do it again."

"Let's compromise. You can take me in – I have to be there at 5:30 – and stay until the procedure is over. Then you can go on into work since I'm just going to sleep afterwards anyway. Then, if you don't have a case, you can pick me up and take care of me all weekend."

"What if something goes wrong?"

"Then Brad will call you and you can come to the hospital. And besides, nothing is going to go wrong. They're doing a needle biopsy. It's uncomfortable but not invasive. I'll be fine."

Reluctantly, Tony agreed although he decided that he would keep Gibbs in the loop. That way if something _did_ go wrong, Tony could get to the hospital quickly.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Friday arrived much too soon. Tony spent the night at Riley's so they could leave for the hospital early enough to arrive by 5:30. It was hard to tell who was more nervous, Riley or Tony. When they arrived at Bethesda, Riley quickly moved through the check-in process and was taken to a room, where she changed into a hospital gown and patiently allowed the nurse to start an IV. She would be sedated for the procedure but aware, since she would have to hold her breath multiple times during the biopsy. Tony stayed until they took Riley away, standing in the hallway as she disappeared behind the double doors. Going back into the room, Tony took out his laptop and tried to work while he waited.

A little while later, a nurse came to let Tony know that the procedure went well and that Riley was in recovery. Soon after that, she was brought back into the room, sleepy from the sedation and the pain medication. Tony kissed her and smiled as she almost immediately dropped off to sleep. He left the room and met Brad in the hallway. The doctor assured him that he would keep Tony posted, but barring any complications, Riley could go home that afternoon.

Reluctantly, Tony left and went to the Navy Yard, arriving about an hour later than normal. Gibbs, aware of the reason, asked "Everything go okay?"

"Yeah, according to Brad it was routine. If all goes well, she gets to come home this afternoon."

Just before lunch, a call came in. Two marines had gotten into a fight and one was in the hospital. Someone had to go and interview him and Tony jumped at the chance to go to Bethesda. Gibbs hid his grin and answered, "Take McGee." Tony was almost to the elevator, McGee following behind, when Gibbs added, "And Tony, tell her we all said 'Hello'."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

When Tony and Tim got to Bethesda, Tim said, "I'll take care of the interview. You go check on Riley."

"Thanks, Tim," Tony answered with genuine gratitude. He had been worried all morning and couldn't wait to see Riley. He gave Tim the room number and told him to come up as soon as he took the Lance Corporal's statement.

Tony entered Riley's room quietly in case she was still sleeping but he needn't have worried. She was sitting up in the bed watching TV with a frown on her face. "Hey, beautiful," he said, walking over and giving her a quick kiss. "How you feeling?"

"Sore. And bored," Riley answered. "Please tell me you're here to take me home!"

"Sorry, babe. Can't spring you yet. McGee and I had to interview a victim. Well, actually McGee is doing the interviewing and I'm here with you. I guess I owe him one now but it's worth it."

Riley pouted and Tony couldn't help but laugh, which just made her pout even more. "Has Brad been by yet?"

"No," she sighed. "The nurse said that he would be in later this afternoon so I guess I'll just have to wait. Hey, at least I get to eat my 'wonderful' lunch." She shifted on the bed and winced, rubbing her chest.

Tony noticed her discomfort and asked worriedly, "Riley, are you okay?" She waved him off with a slight grimace. "I told you I was sore. I'll be fine. Oh, hi Tim!"

McGee entered the room hesitantly. "Hi, Riley. How are you?"

"A little uncomfortable, but I'll be okay. I just want to go home."

"I don't blame you. Uh, Tony, we probably need to get back."

Tony sighed. "Yeah, I know Probie." He leaned over and gave Riley a gently kiss on the lips. "I see you in a little while." The two NCIS agents left and Riley turned back to her only distraction - mind-numbing daytime TV. The next few hours were going to be hell.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Finally. Brad had come in and cleared Riley to go home. The paperwork was finished and she was waiting on Tony to pick her up. She had tried to call him but got his voicemail and he hadn't responded to it or her text message. Assuming they had caught a case, she was about to call a cab when Abby walked in announcing, "Your carriage awaits. Well, it's actually a hearse but 'your hearse awaits' is not what anybody wants to hear when they're in the hospital. How are you anyway?"

Riley laughed and answered, "Like I told Tony awhile ago, sore and bored. And speaking of Tony, what's up? Did they get called out?"

"Yep. They won't need me until they get back so Tony asked me to pick you up and said that he would call you later. Are you ready to go?"

"Past ready. If I have to watch one more daytime talk show, I'll scream." She only had a small tote bag with her and she grabbed it, saying, "Let's get out of here. Do you have time to grab some dinner? I am starving."

"Probably. It might be best to order something, just in case I have to leave. That way we'll already be at your place."

"Sounds good to me. You choose and I'll order."

A little while later, the two were seated on the couch in Riley's den when both of their cell phones rang within seconds of each other. Abby held hers up to show Gibbs' photo on the display and Riley did the same to show Tony's name. Abby finished her conversation (if you could call Gibbs saying 'Abs, get back here now' a conversation) before Riley and waved as she made her way out the door to head back to her lab, leaving Riley listening to Tony apologize for not picking her up at the hospital.

"It's okay, Tony," Riley said. "I'm fine. I'm just going to take a pain pill, put on a movie and crash here on the couch. Hopefully you'll wrap up the case and I'll see you later."

"Are you sure you're okay? Brad said that your lung could collapse. What if that happens and nobody's there to help you? Maybe you should have stayed at the hospital."

"Tony. I. Am. Fine. I do not have a collapsed lung – and trust me, I know what it feels like – but if I start to have problems, I'll call 911. Stop worrying about me and focus on the case. And, Tony – please be careful, okay?"

"I promise. I mean, who's gonna take care of you if I get hurt? I'll call you when I can. Love you." Tony froze as he realized what he just said. He hadn't said it before, hadn't said it to anyone in a long time. He smiled as he realized that he really meant it.

At the other end of the phone call, the reaction was virtually the same. Riley had figured the 'I love you' moment, if it came at all, would come in a much more romantic situation, certainly not over the phone in what might be the last conversation they would have in days. Hesitantly, she replied, "I love you, too. Bye." She hung up the phone, heart pounding. Now they had both said it. The 'L' word. Life was good.

So of course, everything had to go to hell in a hand basket.

TBC

A/N: Kind of a filler chapter, but necessary for the rest of the story. I would promise to update more frequently but I would be lying. I will try, though.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

The case was a bad one involving a dead lieutenant and a missing child. The MCRT worked until the early hours of the morning, catching a nap when and where they could before starting semi-fresh on Saturday morning. Saturday was more of the same as they got a lead on the child's whereabouts that finally resulted in the arrest of the lieutenant's former boyfriend who insisted that the child was his. All in all it was an ugly, sad case that left a little girl without a mommy and a Marine captain on his way back from Iraq to take care of his wife's funeral arrangements. Sunday morning found the entire team angry, tired and depressed.

Tony had not been able to see Riley at all since he saw her in the hospital at lunchtime on Friday, although they had communicated by phone and text. He was looking forward to finishing his report and heading straight to Riley's house and curling up on the sofa in the basement while watching some totally mindless comedy. He completed his own report, reviewed Tim's and Ziva's and placed all three on Gibbs' desk then finally grabbed his backpack and headed for the elevator.

He let himself into Riley's townhouse and called out for her. Getting no answer, he panicked, searching the house and finding no sign of her anywhere. He was on the verge of calling her when he realized that it was Sunday morning at 11:30 – Riley was probably at church, which meant she wasn't feeling any ill effects from the biopsy. He decided to sit on the couch and wait for her to get home. Within minutes, he was sound asleep.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Riley came home from church and smiled when she saw Tony's car in the driveway. The smile broadened when she found the agent sleeping on the sofa. She covered him with an afghan before changing clothes and then went to the kitchen to prepare some lunch.

Tony awakened to the aroma of fried chicken. Sitting up he decided that either he had fallen asleep at KFC or Riley was home and cooking lunch. Since he didn't think KFC had sofas, he was pretty sure it was the latter. Stretching, he stood and made his way into the kitchen and stood in the doorway watching Riley as she moved around the kitchen. "Missed you," he said softly.

She turned, startled, and smiled. "Missed you, too. Did you have a good nap? Oh, and I hope you're hungry."

"Yes to both. Although the nap could have been longer. Might have to get you to join me for another one after lunch."

"I think that can be arranged."

After lunch, Tony and Riley went downstairs and watched _Drop Dead Gorgeous_ while cuddling on the couch. Neither of them made it through the movie – they both went to sleep by the halfway point. They woke up a couple of hours later and Tony reluctantly went back to his own apartment. Although he would have preferred to stay with Riley, he knew he had to take care of some things at home – mail, laundry, and various other unpleasant but necessary tasks. Kissing Riley at the door, he whispered, "I love you."

And for the first time face to face, Riley replied, "I love you, too. See you tomorrow?"

"I hope so. Maybe we'll luck out and have a quiet day."

He should have known better.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Dispatch called Tony at 4:30 am. Groaning, he answered, got the information and then made the necessary calls. He was at the office before 5:00, getting as much information on the victim, Gunnery Sergeant Anthony Baxter, as he could before Gibbs came in. When the rest of the team arrived, they headed out to the scene only to find the FBI already there. "Crap," Tony said. "Please tell me it's not another one." At Gibbs' scowl, Tony headed for the body to shoot and sketch, ignoring the fact that FBI agents appeared to be doing the same thing.

"Is it our serial killer, Tobias?" Gibbs asked Fornell.

"Appears to be," the FBI agent answered. "Same marks on the body, same injuries, same MO. But this time we have a suspect."

Gibbs raised his eyebrows as Fornell continued. "You're not gonna like it though. Hell, I don't like it but pictures don't lie. Sacks has gone to pick her up but he's bringing her back to NCIS. We thought that would be easier."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Gibbs growled.

"It's Kendall. We have her on video leaving a club with the victim on Saturday night. She fits the description of the woman seen with the others and now we have her with this one. Unless DiNozzo can give her an alibi, we have to bring her in."

"You know damn well we were on a case all weekend. Tony was with me. I know he talked to her on the phone but he didn't see her. And how did you get info that fast? We just got the call at 4:30. No way you reviewed the videos and identified Riley in an hour."

"We got the call at 1:00. I made the decision to keep you out as until we reviewed the videos. You need to keep DiNozzo on a leash and keep him away from her. The fallout is going to be bad enough with an FBI agent who's a serial killer. The press will have a field day when they find out she was sleeping with an NCIS agent."

Gibbs didn't believe for one minute that Riley was guilty. "I want to see the video. Are you really sure that it's Kendall?"

"I haven't seen it but Sacks said that it was a 90 percent match on facial recognition, height and weight. I don't want to believe it either, but if we don't take her in, it will look like a cover-up."

Gibbs sighed. "I better get DiNozzo out of here. If someone lets it slip while we here, he's gonna go ballistic. It will be better if I tell him myself. I'll grab him and we'll head back to the yard. Meet us in the bullpen." Spotting his SFA photographing the scene, he called out, "DiNozzo, with me. FBI's gonna finish up here. We need to get back. David, McGee – make sure Fornell's people don't screw up. And Ducky gets the body."

Tony was confused. Why was Gibbs voluntarily giving up the scene? Shrugging his shoulders, he handed the camera to McGee and followed Gibbs to the car.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"So what's going on, Boss?" asked Tony. "Since when do you leave a crime scene in the hands of the FBI?"

"Sacks is picking up a suspect and bringing her back to NCIS. They have video of her leaving a bar with the victim," Gibbs answered. Before Tony could say anything else, Gibbs continued, "Tony, it's Riley."

"What's Riley? Wait – you mean Sacks arrested Riley? I'll kill him, Gibbs! Honest to God, I'll kill him! There's no way that she did it."

"Sacks said that there's a 90 percent match. And you were with me Friday and Saturday night. At least you can be her alibi for last night."

Tony sighed. "No, I can't. I didn't stay with her. I had to take care of things at my apartment and to tell you the truth, we were both pretty wiped out. I was in bed by 10:00 and slept 'til I got the call at 4:30. Damn it, I should have stayed with her!"

"Tony, when we get back to NCIS, you have to stay away from her."

"No way, Gibbs. I'm not leaving her alone in this witch hunt. We all know that Sacks likes to pin murder raps on innocent people."

"DiNozzo, I'm ordering you to back off. If you go in there half-cocked you might just make it worse for her. I'll take care of her. I promise."

"Okay, Boss. I'll back off – for now. But Sacks better watch his back – when this is over and Riley is proven innocent, he's mine!"

Gibbs and Tony reached the Navy Yard and Tony immediately headed for interrogation. Before Gibbs could warn him off, he said, "Don't worry, Boss. I'm just going into observation. I'll stay out of the room." _Unless Sacks does something to hurt her. Then nothing or no one will keep me out._

Gibbs didn't like it but he allowed Tony to observe. He thought he was going to have to physically restrain the SFA when they saw Riley. She was wearing sweat pants and an oversized OSU hoodie (obviously Tony's). She was sitting in the chair with her knees pulled up to her chest and appeared to be ignoring Sacks completely.

Sacks on the other hand was asking question after question, badgering and belittling Riley until she finally spoke. "I'm not saying anything without an attorney. I've been telling you that for the last 3 hours. When she gets here, then you can question me. Until then, you're wasting your breath."

"Fine!" Sacks shouted as he got up to leave the room. He slammed the door behind him and was surprised as he suddenly found himself pinned against that same door by an arm pressed against his throat.

"I should kick your . . . " Tony started to say but was interrupted when Gibbs pulled him away from Sacks.

"DiNozzo, stand down!" Gibbs shouted. At Sacks' smirk, Gibbs turned on him and said, "Don't think you're getting off easy, Sacks! You better have your ducks in a row or I'm going to turn DiNozzo loose on you."

Sacks sneered. "Do you have any idea who you've been dating? Did you know that her name isn't really Riley Kendall? And that she killed her uncle? Seems our Riley has been a very bad girl."

Tony looked at Sacks with a smile that chilled the FBI agent to the bone. "First of all, her legal name _is_ Riley Kendall. She changed it when she was 15 years old shortly after she killed her uncle in self-defense. Right after _he_ shoved her aunt, Riley's only living relative, down the stairs when she found out that dear Uncle Evan had been molesting his niece. The night Riley killed the bastard he had raped her for the first – and last – time. I've read the newspaper accounts, the police reports and the psych reports."

"She stabbed the man 17 times, DiNozzo! That's not self-defense, that's murder and the little bitch got away with it!" Before Gibbs could stop him, Tony lunged at Sacks, his fist connecting solidly with the man's jaw. Fortunately for Sacks, Gibbs was able to pull Tony away before he did more damage.

Sacks got off the floor, rubbing his jaw. "I'll have your job for that."

"For what?" Gibbs said. "Slipping and falling in the hall? You need to be more careful. Now – we want to see the video. Fornell is meeting us in the bullpen." Without another word, Tony and Gibbs headed for the bullpen, leaving Sacks to follow behind.

Fornell was waiting for them and Abby had the video cued up and ready to play. They watched as a woman who looked very much like Riley Kendall went up to Gunnery Sergeant Baxter. They obviously knew each other based on the way they kissed. After having a drink, the two left the bar together. Baxter was never seen alive again. "This video was taken Saturday night," said Sacks, slurring a little due to the pain in his jaw. "We believe she killed him Saturday or early Sunday and disposed of the body on Sunday night. The body probably wouldn't have been found until later, but the young man who found it was trying to sneak home from his girlfriend's house before his parents woke up."

"Back it up and freeze it so we can get a good look at her," said Tony. Abby did as he asked and Tony looked carefully at the woman on the screen. She _looked_ like Riley, except for the hair, which could be a wig. The halter dress she was wearing, though, left little to the imagination and that was how Tony knew the truth.

"It's not her," he stated simply.

"Oh, please, DiNozzo!" Sacks shouted. "It looks just like her."

"Not just like her. For one thing, that woman is too small."

"Sorry, Tony, but we've calculated her height and weight and it's almost a perfect match to Riley," said Abby. "And the facial recognition was a 90 percent hit."

For some reason, Tony was grinning. "No I mean she's too small. Up top. Riley's more, um, endowed. Another reason that that can't be Riley is that she had surgery on Friday. It wasn't anything major, but she wouldn't have felt like going out. Plus that woman doesn't have any scars."

"Scars?" asked Sacks. "What kind of scars? She could be covering them with makeup."

"I can't see that woman's knee so I can't comment on the surgery scar Riley has there, but you can see her midriff. Riley has a fairly extensive burn scar on her side and back. There's no way to hide it. She also has a scar from a bullet to her shoulder. I don't see evidence of that either." He moved toward Sacks. "So now I'm going up to interrogation and I'm getting Riley out of here. I'm taking her home and if you ever go near her again, I'll kick your butt all the way back to the Hoover building."

Tony turned and left the room, heading for interrogation. He opened the door to find Riley still sitting just as she was when they left. "Hey," he whispered. "Let's get you home."

"He knows everything," Riley said, defeated. "Now everyone is going to know who I am, what I did."

"Riley, he doesn't matter. No one else matters. What _does_ matter is that I love you and I will never let anyone hurt you again. Now, come on, let's go."

"What about the case? You can't just leave."

"Watch me." Tony helped Riley to stand and drew her into a hug. "It's okay. It's over," he murmured into her hair as she clung to him like a child. Suddenly she stiffened. "Riley, babe, are you okay?" She didn't answer and he realized that she was having trouble breathing. Eyes wide, she looked at him and gasped out, "Get Ducky!" just before she collapsed.

TBC

A/N: Don't faint! Another update! I've got to finish this story 'cause I have like three more I want to post but I refuse to bring another story into this world until this one is all grown up! BTW, I'm neither a cop nor a doctor. Police procedure and medical stuff is researched but you can only find out so much from Google. I claim poetic license and hey, that's why it's called Fan FICTION, right?


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Tony called Ducky only to find that the ME had not yet returned to NCIS. He and Palmer had just finished at the site and were preparing to load the body for transport. He urged Tony to call for EMT's immediately since the description of Riley's symptoms indicated a probable collapsed lung. Trying not to panic, Tony called 911 and then contacted security to let them know that an ambulance was on the way. After what seemed like hours (but was in reality only a few minutes) the emergency personnel arrived and prepared Riley for transport. They placed her on a gurney and quickly moved her to the ambulance, Tony following behind them, refusing to leave Riley's side.

"Call me, DiNozzo," called Gibbs as his SFA entered the elevator. Gibbs then turned to Sacks and Fornell, who had been watching the proceedings in shock. "What the hell did you do to her?" he snarled at the two FBI agents.

"We didn't do anything to her," Sacks protested. "She was fine. You saw her in the observation room."

"What I saw was a woman who was apparently dragged out of her home without being given the opportunity to get dressed. For God's sake, Sacks, she's one of your own!"

"She's not one of mine!" Sacks shouted, then turned when he heard another voice reply, "That's right, Agent Sacks. But she is one of _mine_ and I want to know why you handled this situation the way you did." Turning to Gibbs, the man introduced himself, "Aaron Hotchner, BAU. Where's my agent?"

"On the way to the hospital," Gibbs growled. "Possible collapsed lung."

Glaring at Sacks, Hotchner asked, "Is there somewhere a little more private where we can discuss this situation? And please tell me that Riley isn't alone – that someone went with her."

Gibbs began ushering them all towards an unoccupied conference room as he answered, "She's not alone. DiNozzo's with her – he'll call when he knows something."

Once they entered the conference room and sat down, Hotchner turned to Sacks and stated simply, "Explain."

Sacks began to tell the agents about his suspicions of Riley that began when he saw the sketch of the suspect from the previous murder. He told them about finding out Riley's birth name and what had happened to her family. When the most recent victim had been found, Sacks had checked out the security films from the club and saw the woman that he truly believed was Riley Kendall. Based on the information he had uncovered along with the apparent video evidence, Sacks had decided to arrest his fellow agent.

Hotchner was silent for a moment. When he spoke, the suppressed rage was evident in his tone but he remained outwardly calm. "If you had taken the time to come to me, Agent Sacks, I could have prevented this. I am completely aware of Riley's history as is the Director. I also know that Riley had surgery on Friday and would have been physically unable to even go out to a club on Saturday, much less kill a man and dispose of his body. You were out of line, Agent Sacks. He turned to Fornell, "The question is, what are you going to do about it?"

Fornell took a deep breath. "I did not authorize Agent Sacks to pursue Agent Kendall as a suspect." He raised his hand when Hotchner started to speak. "However, I do not fault him for doing so – to a certain extent. You all saw the sketch. It looks a lot like Riley. Sacks wouldn't have been doing his job if he hadn't checked it out – a defense lawyer would be all over it, citing a cover up." Looking at Sacks, he continued, "What I do have a problem with is the way you handled the information. You should have at the very least shared it with me. I _am_ your superior, Sacks. I should have been kept in the loop. And then I could have contacted Agent Hotchner and this whole fiasco could have been avoided. As it is, Agent Sacks, go home. You're on suspension until we get this sorted out."

Sacks started to protest but seeing the looks on the other three agents' faces, he thought better of it. Without another word, he got up and left the conference room.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Tony paced the waiting room to which he had been relegated when the ambulance arrived at Bethesda. He wanted to be with Riley, to know what was going on. Nobody would tell him anything and he was getting frustrated. He was just about to go back to the desk when a nurse stepped out and called his name, "Mr. DiNozzo? Would you come with me please?"

Tony moved quickly to follow the nurse. "Is Riley okay?" he asked.

"We've already moved her to a room. She's going to have to stay overnight. The doctor is with her now and will explain everything to you." She placed her hand on Tony's shoulder. "She's going to be fine."

Entering the room, Tony was taken aback at the sight of the chest tube. Riley looked small and pale in the bed, the IV and nasal cannula adding to the vulnerability. Still, she reached out her free hand to him and smiled. "I'm okay," she whispered. "Well, I will be anyway."

"Mr. DiNozzo, I'm Dr. Franklin. I treated Ms. Kendall for a collapsed lung that resulted as a complication from the biopsy she had on Friday. Usually, if it's going to happen, the lung collapses soon after the procedure. Was Ms. Kendall under any undue stress or trauma?"

Tony barked a laugh without humor, "Yeah, you might say that. Is she really okay?"

The doctor smiled. "I've been in contact with Dr. Pitt. He'll be by to see her in the morning. If everything looks okay, he'll remove the tube and she can go home. She just needs to take it easy for a few days."

Tony sighed with relief. Leaning down, he kissed Riley gently and said, "Don't ever scare me like that again."

"I promise," she whispered then yawned. "I'm tired."

"Go to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up." With a small smile, Riley closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

With a smile of his own, the doctor said, "The nurse will be in to check her later. Just hit the call button if there's a problem." He left the room, confused when Tony followed him. At the man's questioning look, Tony pulled out his phone. "I have to call with an update and I don't want to disturb her. Then I'm going back in there and I not leaving until she does."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Gibbs was just about to call Tony for an update when his phone rang. "Gibbs," he answered, in his usual terse fashion.

"Hi, Boss," said Tony. "I just wanted to let you know what's going on."

"It's about time, DiNozzo. I was just about to give you a call. She gonna be okay?"

"Yeah. It was a collapsed lung. They put in a chest tube so she's going to be fine. They're keeping her overnight and . . ." Tony hesitated but before he could speak, Gibbs interrupted. "Stay there DiNozzo. I'll call you in if I need you. Otherwise, keep her company."

"Thanks, Boss. Could you tell the others for me? I want to get back in the room."

"I'll take care of it. Call me if you need anything."

Hanging up the phone, Gibbs looked at the expectant faces of McGee and Ziva. "She's okay. Her lung collapsed and the put in a chest tube, but DiNozzo said she'll be fine. He's going to stay with her. McGee, call Agent Hotchner at the BAU and pass the information on to him. I'm going to go tell Ducky and Abby."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

True to the doctor's words, Riley was released the next day and allowed to go home with strict instructions to rest for the next few days. She was still uncomfortable that so many people knew of her past, but Tony helped her realize that it didn't matter to her friends. After taking the rest of the week off, she was ready to go back to work the following Monday. It was awkward at first – I mean, it's kind of embarrassing to get arrested by your own coworkers. Eventually, though, things calmed down and were soon back to normal. The only cloud that remained was the wait for the biopsy results.

A week after the procedure Brad called Riley and asked her to come to his office to discuss the findings. Nervous, Riley chose not to tell Tony. She decided that she would hear what Brad had to say first before sharing the information. Walking into the office, she asked, "So what's the verdict, Brad?"

"Sit down, Riley," he gently replied. "We need to talk."

A/N: I know. It's short but I need to stop it here. I'll try to update again later this week. Thanks for all of the reviews and alerts. Oh, and as usual, I don't own anything although I would love to have my own personal DiNozzo (or Gibbs – hey they're both hot!)


	30. Chapter 30

A/N: I am so slack. No excuse. Just lazy. But here's a longer chapter. Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: Just so you know. Don't own them. Wish I did.

Chapter 30

Tony went straight to Riley's townhouse on Friday afternoon. He was worried – he knew Brad was supposed to call with results but Riley hadn't called to let him know what Brad said. He let himself in and found Riley sitting on the couch. "Hey, babe. You okay?" he asked softly.

Riley didn't look at him. "It's not cancer," she sighed, "but it is a tumor. I have to have surgery – again."

Tony sat down and pulled her into his lap. "How soon?"

"Next week. Hopefully they can use the scope – it's less invasive, shorter recovery time."

"So what are you not telling me?"

"I took this job in DC because it required less field work, but even so, I'm still _qualified_ for field work. Brad says that he's completely pulling me out of the field. It's not just the tumor – the scar tissue has increased and my lung capacity has diminished. I'll have to leave the BAU and the Reserves because I can't meet the fitness requirements. The Corps and the Bureau have been my life – what do I do now?"

Tony wrapped his arms even tighter around her. He could feel her trembling, knew that she was on the verge of breaking down. "You could go back to the classroom – I know from experience that you're a great teacher. Or you could go to work as a pathologist or an ME. It's not like the FBI and the Marines are all you know how to do." He hesitated but only for a moment." Or you could stay at home and have my babies and let me take care of you for the rest of our lives."

Riley froze. She turned in Tony's arms to look him in the eye. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" she asked.

"Well, this isn't exactly how I had it planned. I was going to take you away for a romantic weekend and do the whole down-on-one-knee over champagne and dinner thing. But I do mean it – marry me?"

Riley couldn't answer. She was crying and the words just wouldn't come. Tony started to speak, "It's okay. You don't have to answer me now. I just need you to know that I love you."

"Yes."

Tony blinked. "What did you say?"

"I said yes!" Riley threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Yes, yes, yes!"

"Then I guess I need to give you this," Tony said, smiling as he reached into his pocket. "I've been carrying this around for a while, scared to death I was going to lose it. It was my mother's – if you don't like it, we can always go get something else."

The ring was simple but beautiful. A single marquis-cut diamond mounted in white gold. He slid it on her finger and smiled at the perfect fit. His mother had been as petite as Riley and he hoped the ring would work.

"It's beautiful," she whispered. "And it's perfect. I don't want anything else." She kissed him again, honored that he had given her his mother's ring. "I love you. "

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Tony came into work on Monday morning grinning from ear to ear. Ziva and Tim noticed that he seemed to be in an even better than usual mood. "Wow!" McGee exclaimed. "Somebody must have had a good weekend!"

"Good doesn't even begin to describe it," Tony answered, still smiling.

"So what did you do?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. " Suddenly serious, Tony asked, "Uh, can I talk to you for a minute, Tim? In private? "

Tim frowned but nodded. "Where do you want to go? We could always use Gibbs' conference room."

Tony grinned. "I think it might be best if we used one of the _real_ conference rooms." The two men left, Ziva looking after them in curiosity.

When they reached the conference room, Tony closed the door and looked at Tim. The younger agent had never seen Tony so serious. "What's up, Tony? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, Tim, everything is fine – more than fine. I need to ask a favor, though."

Now Tim was _really_ nervous. "I'll do whatever I can, Tony. You know that."

"I need you to clear your calendar for the last Saturday in September."

Tim's brows drew together in confusion. "What's going on? The Ohio State – Michigan game? I told you I wasn't going to watch that with you again. You get too excited."

"God, I hope it's not that Saturday. I'd hate to have to miss the game but we're going to be busy." He paused and took a deep breath. "Tim, I want you to be my best man."

It took a minute for what Tony was saying to sink in. When it did, Tim looked at Tony in amazement. "Really! You're getting married? Congratulations, man! But I figured you would ask Gibbs to be your best man, not me."

"Tim, I know you and I have had some issues, but I consider you to be the younger brother I never had. And I want my brother to be my best man."

Tim was shocked to hear Tony's words but realized that he felt the same way about Tony. "I would love to be your best man. Thank you. When are you going to tell everyone else?"

"When Riley gets here. She wants to talk to Gibbs first, so keep your mouth shut." Tim grinned and the two men left the conference room.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Gibbs entered the bullpen and wondered when the two male members of his team were. Before he could ask Ziva, the elevator dinged and Riley walked in. "Good morning, Riley," said Gibbs. "If you're looking for Tony, join the club."

Noticing that Tim wasn't in the bullpen either, Riley was pretty sure where the two men went. "Actually, Gibbs, I need to talk to you for a minute. In private?"

Gibbs was concerned. Was something wrong with Tony? He couldn't imagine why Riley would want to speak to him in confidence. "C'mon. We'll use my office," he said moving toward the elevator. Once inside, he hit the emergency stop and asked, "What's wrong, Riley? Everything okay with you and DiNozzo?"

She smiled but didn't say a word. Instead she held out her left hand, showing Gibbs the ring that Tony had placed on her finger. The grin that split Gibbs' face was unlike anything she had ever seen. "You know, you should smile like that more often," she said with a grin of her own. "Of course, it might ruin your reputation as a bastard."

Gibbs wrapped her in a gentle hug. "I'm happy for you both. But you could have told me out in the bullpen. Why the secrecy?"

"I wanted to ask you something. And it's okay if you don't want to. I understand." She paused and looked at Gibbs. "Would you. . . would you walk me down the aisle Gibbs? Will you give me away?" Suddenly shy, she looked away. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." What was she thinking? This was a man who had lost his own daughter. What right did Riley have to suppose that he would want to take care of such a fatherly duty for _her_?

Gibbs looked at the young woman standing in front of him. He thought of Kelly, of his dreams of one day walking her down the aisle. While that dream would never come true, he knew that he would not let Riley down. He had lost his daughter, she had lost her father – but fate had put the two of them together. Gently, Gibbs placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face. She was stunned to see tears glimmering in his eyes. Placing a soft kiss on her forehead, he said softly, "I would be honored to give you away." Blinking away her own tears, Riley threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. "Will you wear your dress blues?" she asked.

Gibbs laughed. "Whatever you want, Riley. Now I think we need to let the rest of the building have the elevator back and you and DiNozzo have an announcement to make." He released the emergency stop and they returned to the bullpen.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Where's Gibbs?" Tony asked as he and Tim returned to the bullpen.

Ziva was slightly put out that she was being left out of whatever was going on. "He is in his office with Riley."

Tony nodded. "They'll be out in a minute. I'm gonna call the others."

While he was on the phone, Riley and Gibbs came out of the elevator. Riley looked like she had been crying and, shockingly, so did Gibbs. He had his hand on the small of Riley's back and the two of them looked relaxed and comfortable. Tony looked at Riley and at her smile, he knew that Gibbs had said yes.

Tired of being the only one not in the loop, Ziva asked, "Will someone please tell me what's going on?"

Before Tony could answer, Abby, Ducky and Palmer entered the bullpen. "So what's so important that you had us come up here first thing?" asked Abby.

"I'll tell you in a minute. First, Boss, I need to go ahead and put in a request for two weeks vacation starting the last Saturday in September," Tony said, still smiling.

"You're taking vacation?" asked Palmer incredulously. "You never take vacation. Where are you going?"

"Not sure yet. We're thinking Italy – can't go wrong with an Italian honeymoon."

It took a few seconds for the words to sink in. Ducky caught on first but Abby was the first to speak, "You're getting married?"

"Well, yeah, Abs. One usually does that before the honeymoon."

The bullpen exploded with congratulations and best wishes. Abby hugged them both until they begged for release to catch their breath. Even agents from other teams came over to wish them well, having heard the commotion from across the room. Director Vance heard all the noise and came downstairs with a frown, "What's going on down here?" He almost had to shout to be heard over the conversations.

"Tony and Riley are getting married!" Abby called. She grabbed Riley's hand and pulled her over to Ziva. "Ziva , look at this ring – isn't it gorgeous?"

"It is beautiful, Riley. Did Tony pick it out himself?" Ziva asked, trying to show happiness for the couple while locking away the pain in her heart.

"It was his mother's ring," Riley answered softly. She looked at Ziva and was stunned by the pain in the other woman's eyes. Was Ziva in love with Tony? According to Tony, Ziva said that she cared for him as a friend, but that's not what Riley was seeing on Ziva's face. "Oh, Ziva," she said. "Why didn't you . . ."

"You and Tony will be very happy together, Riley. I know you will be a beautiful bride." With a smile, she gave Riley a hug and told herself that she was truly happy for them.

T BC


End file.
